The loss of the USAID
USAID’s food packages are marked with the words, “From the American People.” USAID represented an America that was strong and caring.
On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14169. This order stopped almost all US foreign aid programs. Trump planned to shut down most of the work done by the US Agency for International Development, known as USAID. Elon Musk boasted that, “We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper.”
USAID was created in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy signed the Foreign Assistance Act. It was part of a campaign to help children survive preventable diseases. USAID grew into the largest funding agency for humanitarian and development aid in the world.
A 21-year study published in the medical journal The Lancet, found that USAID had a huge impact on saving lives in Africa. USAID helped reduce all-cause deaths in Africa by 15%. 92 million people were saved, including 30 million children under the age 5. HIV and Malaria deaths were cut in half.
USAID paid for humanitarian assistance and health but also for projects for clean water, schools and birth control. USAID helped countries track disease patterns and outbreaks. Some people complained the agency cost too much for Americans.
But USAID funding was less than 1% of the federal budget.
Researchers say that with USAID funds gone, by 2030 there will be 14 million more deaths, including 4.5 million children under 5. A million people will die of HIV/AIDS and Malaria alone in the next year. Experts predict there will be more maternal deaths and starvation.
With no warning and no exit plan, 86% of USAID contracts were ended (77% related to health). The World Food Program was cut from 4.3 billion to 326 million. UNICEF was cut from 2.3 to 1.3 billion. African nations lost key support for tracking and fighting diseases. In the rush to shutdown programs, 66000 metric tons of food was led behind with no plan to give it out. The food has since expired and either destroyed or used for animal feed. This stockpile cost U.S. taxpayers $98 million. It was enough food to feed a million people for a month.
In its place, Trump created the America First Global Health Strategy with a purpose to end a “culture of dependency.” The message Trump sent is “We are no longer a world leader. Go somewhere else for help.”
[Published in local newspapers November 2025 by Ben Boardmen and friends; shared on this website with permission. Email info@clarkdemocrats.org for more info about how to support BARN OWL in your local paper.]
