The Consequences of the U.S. Foreign Aid Freeze
Documenting the impacts of the Trump administration’s freeze and termination of foreign assistance programs and the ongoing dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development
Latest Developments
August 12, 2025
Stand Up for Aid - Situation Report #14 (06/30/25) (See more Stand Up for Aid reports)
According to a survey of more than 360 nonprofits in Africa, cuts to USAID funding have resulted in 64% of those nonprofits facing “existential risk” to long-term sustainability. In addition, “for at least 1 in 5 civil society organizations, entire program areas collapsed.” (Devex, 08/12/2025)
Due to US funding cuts to the UN humanitarian system, “[t]he U.N. Refugee Agency said last week it expects to run out of emergency funds for Uganda next month. At that point it will be able to provide only $5 a month in blankets, sanitary pads, soap and other essentials to each refugee—about a third of what’s required, according to the agency.” The lack of support has increased tensions and outbreaks of violence in communities hosting large refugee populations, primarily from Sudan and South Sudan. (Wall Street Journal, 08/11/2025)
“This spring, more than 1,700 of the communal kitchens run by volunteers in Sudan closed down entirely, affecting nearly 3 million people, thanks either directly to USAID cuts or to the chaos created by mass U.S.-government layoffs and canceled contracts.” (The Atlantic, 08/06/2025)
Fondation Suisse de Déminage (FSD), a Geneva-based humanitarian nonprofit had to terminate operations and lay off staff previously working to clear landmines from areas liberated from the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq. Previously, FSD teams working at full capacity could clear 100 square meters of farmland each day. (Inkstick, 08/05/2025)
15,000 pounds of U.S. food assistance expired in a warehouse in Georgia, before they were able to be sent overseas to regions in dire need of aid. In addition, a “$50 million supply has been stacked for months in [Mana Nutrition’s] facility in Pooler, a short drive from Savannah, caught in the chaos as the Trump administration upended foreign aid and never shipped. The food could still help 60 million people, Mana estimates.” (Washington Post, 08/02/2025)
“At least 652 children died from malnutrition in the Nigerian state of Katsina in the first six months of 2025, Mèdecìns Sans Frontières said on Friday, an outcome it said it was due to funding cuts by international donors.” (Reuters, 07/25/25)
In Nigeria, “the regional director of the World Food Program said that due to severe funding cuts starting in August, ‘we will face the heartbreaking reality of having to suspend humanitarian aid for the populations in areas devastated by conflict.’” “That means over 1.3 million people in Nigeria will lose access to food and nutritional support, 150 nutrition clinics in Borno state in the northeast where Islamic militants are active may close and 300,000 children will be at risk of severe malnutrition, and 700,000 displaced people” will lose support. (AP, 07/24/25)
“For months, $9.7 million of contraceptives have been sitting in a Belgian warehouse. They were purchased by the U.S. government for women in developing countries — but as early as today, those contraceptives will be driven to an incineration site to be destroyed.” (Devex, 07/21/25)
“The Trump administration's decision to slash nearly all U.S. foreign aid has left dozens of water and sanitation projects half-finished across the globe, creating new hazards for some of the people they were designed to benefit.” (Reuters, 07/20/25)
International Impacts
Global Health
“Nearly 800,000 mpox vaccine doses the U.S. government had promised to donate to African countries experiencing an outbreak of the rash-causing disease cannot be shipped because they’re expiring in less than six months, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.” (Politico, 07/17/25)
“In a public hospital on the outskirts of Ghazni, [Afghanistan,] an arid city of around 200,000 people, doctors said they were running out of the most basic drugs — antibiotics, painkillers, cancer medications — once provided by U.S.-funded nongovernmental organizations.” (Washington Post, 07/13/25)
“[I]n the last six months, the sudden withdrawal of U.S. money has caused a ‘systemic shock,’ U.N. officials warned, adding that if the funding isn’t replaced, it could lead to more than 4 million AIDS-related deaths and 6 million more HIV infections by 2029.” (AP, 07/10/25)
In Bangladesh, USAID cuts have contributed to the closure of all but “about 35 centers” providing telehealth services, which are now “kept on life support by unpaid staff.” "Rural residents who used the centers earlier told Rest of World they are no longer receiving sufficient care.” (Rest of World, 07/10/25)
Counter-Terrorism & Conflict Stabilization
As jihadist seek to expand from West Africa’s Sahel region toward Atlantic coastal nations such as Ivory Coast, but “as the Trump administration dismantles decades of foreign policy, including eliminating tens of millions of dollars in U.S. security assistance, African allies are growing wary of Washington’s counterterrorism efforts on the continent.” (NYT, 06/16/25)
U.S. aid cuts could thwart efforts to contain the threat posed by al-Shabab militants in Somalia and “fuel al-Shabab’s expansion into neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia and allow the Somali fighters to strengthen fledgling relations with Yemen’s Houthi rebels.” “Since February, insurgents have taken back dozens of villages, including the strategic town of Adan Yabaal, and regained the ability to operate in nearly a third of the territory they lost to federal forces in 2022. Al-Shabab’s Ramadan offensive in March coincided with reduced U.S. support for Somali special forces — a 2,500-strong unit known as the Danab brigade — which has traditionally led the fight against al-Shabab.” (WaPo, 5/27/25)
In a new report to Congress, inspectors general from State and Defense say that deep cuts to foreign aid have “created security lapses, slowed repatriation efforts and interrupted the distribution of humanitarian aid at the sprawling al-Hol camp and other outposts where former Islamic State [members] have been held while their home governments try to reintegrate them into society.” “The presence of militants in the camps and the poor living conditions have made them fertile recruiting grounds.” (NYT, 5/1/25)
As much as 50% of humanitarian demining projects have been suspended in Colombia due to the Trump administration's funding freeze. Despite NGO and government efforts, Colombia experienced 262 landmine casualties in 2024. José Antonio Delgado, the ICRC's National Director of Operations says, "The impact of each of these [incidents] is not only reflected in the number of people injured or killed. When you stop having mobility, the communities see an impact in terms of food security - you cannot access your fields, your territories, you cannot grow crops - difficulties in accessing essential services that can range from access to health, but also access to water.” (The Latin Times, 4/15/25)
Supporting Vulnerable Populations
“Humanitarians in Sudan, where a two-year civil war has given rise to the world’s most acute needs and made assistance increasingly difficult, warn that a vacuum left by cuts to U.S. funding for aid programs cannot be filled.” (ABC News, 07/13/25)
The Trump administration “cancelled a major contract to supply emergency kits for rape survivors in Congo as violence surged in the east this year, leaving thousands without access to life-saving medication, the United Nations and aid groups said.” (Reuters, 07/01/25)
“Thanks to swinging cuts to the U.S. aid budget under President Donald Trump, life at Kakuma camp in northern Kenya has got a whole lot harder. Girls opt to stay home on their period, food rations have shrunk, tens of teachers have been fired and the vital cash transfers that once kept families going have almost run dry. ‘The funding cuts affected even the community because they used to receive some food and cash-based transfers but it was also cut off,’ said Elizabeth Mukami, a headteacher at Future Primary and Junior School, one of the schools in the camp.” (Context, 05/30/25)
“Paul Jansen, Executive Director at Fleet Forum, a non-profit organization providing humanitarian transport in developing nations, has witnessed first-hand the effect USAID cuts have had on the humanitarian sector. ‘Normally, humanitarian organizations would replace an older vehicle with a cleaner car, or even an electric vehicle. But they now are continuing to drive their vehicles, which will become more expensive. This leads to a risk of breakdowns and technical issues, increasing safety risks,’ Jansen stated.” (Global Fleet, 05/28/25)
Economic Development
In Central Kenya, the U.S. government ended support for a program that expanded access to water in drought-ridden areas, which created economic stability and helped anchor young men to their community in a region “known [as a] recruiting ground for Al-Shabaab, the Somalia-based insurgency.” (PBS News Hour, 07/15/25)
Fish Right, a “seven-year partnership between USAID, the Philippines government, the University of Rhode Island, and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP)” “to improve marine biodiversity and the fisheries sector” has abruptly shifted objectives due to funding cuts. The program will now focus on “maritime security and increasing the visibility of the U.S.’s presence in the West Philippine Sea, leaving the part of Fish Right’s mission focused on tackling illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, responsible fisheries management, and increasing the availability of sustainable seafood in the Philippines terminated.” (Seafood Source, 06/03/2025)
“A sudden USAID funding cut has stalled conservation efforts in Ethiopia’s Tama Community Conservation Area (TCCA), a 197,000-hectare (486,000-acre) corridor home to elephants, giraffes and other threatened species. The project, launched in 2022 with $8.5 million in USAID support, had helped reduce illegal hunting, create local jobs and improve community-led biodiversity management.” (Mongabay, 05/30/2025)
“Over 50,000 Bangladeshi professionals have lost their jobs following the shutdown of USAID-funded projects in the country, an association of the unemployed professionals said on Tuesday. The termination of thousands of USAID foreign assistance grants in January has led to the closure of 55 out of 59 programs in Bangladesh,” “and the country lost development assistance worth $700 million.” (Anadolu Agency, 05/27/2025)
Food Security·
“Five months into its unprecedented dismantling of foreign-aid programs, the Trump administration has given the order to incinerate food instead of sending it to people abroad who need it. Nearly 500 metric tons of emergency food—enough to feed about 1.5 million children for a week—are set to expire tomorrow, according to current and former government employees with direct knowledge of the rations.” (The Atlantic, 07/14/25)
“Despite announcing a $50 million pledged to fund [ready-to-use foods, known as] RUTFs earlier this summer, the Trump administration's deep cuts to foreign assistance have wreaked havoc on RUTF distribution globally, and the State Department hasn’t placed orders with leading suppliers this year. Experts say the disruptions will result in more children dying from hunger.” (Wired, 07/09/25)
“Five months into its unprecedented dismantling of foreign-aid programs, the Trump administration has given the order to incinerate food instead of sending it to people abroad who need it. Nearly 500 metric tons of emergency food—enough to feed about 1.5 million children for a week—are set to expire tomorrow, according to current and former government employees with direct knowledge of the rations.” (The Atlantic, 07/14/25)
“After months of uncertainty, even the” foreign aid projects the Trump administration did not terminate “are struggling to plan for the future.” “One is a World Food Program contract in Kenya that helps feed 700,000 refugees from nearby conflicts. The program is nearly out of food, and while it remains on the list of active U.S.A.I.D. awards, it has not received any funding this year. As a result, the program’s organizers have had to reduce the rations they provide.” (NYT, 06/22/25)
Counter-Drug & Human Trafficking
“In the southeastern African country of Malawi, U.S. funding cuts to the United Nations’ World Food Programme have ‘yielded a sharp increase in criminality, sexual violence, and instances of human trafficking’ within a large refugee camp, U.S. embassy officials told the State Department in late April.” (ProPublica, 05/28/2025)
In Peru, USAID had supported the fight against the illegal mining for gold done by drug gangs, but cuts have struck fear in citizens who believe that “the exit of USAID funding is going to set back the initial strides we have made to counter this threat.” At a broader level, these cuts would “mean that less attention to illegal mining is likely to mean smoother sailing for other trafficking operations as well.” (The Christian Science Monitor, 04/23/25)
In Colombia, the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) has been suspended. ICITAP “had recently launched a project to train about 600 Colombian police officials in investigating and tracking money laundering — crucial specialized skills to dismantle powerful criminal organizations.” (The Washington Post, 03/16/2025)
18 Black Hawk helicopters used by Colombian law enforcement to track and combat armed groups and drug traffickers have been grounded after funding for fuel and maintenance was paused. (The Washington Post, 03/16/2025)
Governance & Rule of Law
“A U.N.-mandated commission investigating suspected human rights violations and war crimes in Democratic Republic of Congo cannot proceed due to a funding crisis in the U.N. human rights office (OHCHR), according to a letter seen by Reuters. The OHCHR is facing a major cash crunch caused by some countries failing to fully pay their contributions, compounded by major cuts in foreign aid by the United States under President Donald Trump.” (Reuters, 06/23/2025)
Due to the USAID cuts, “Indigenous people in the Amazon worry that without American support there will be a resurgence of the cocaine market, increased threats to their land and potentially violent challenges to their human rights.” “In the three months since thousands of foreign aid workers were fired and aid contracts canceled, the Peruvian government has moved quickly to strip Indigenous people of their land rights and to tighten controls on international organizations that document human rights abuses. It's now a serious offense for a nonprofit to provide assistance to anyone working to bring lawsuits against the government.” (AP, 06/04/2025)
“Central to helping the Colombia cement a lasting peace has been the creation of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, a court dedicated to trying crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the internal conflict, which left at least 450,000 people dead. The loss of U.S. help will slow down the court’s work, court officials said, which is worrisome because it has a 15-year deadline to reach verdicts and sentences in cases involving tens of thousands of victims and defendants living in rural and difficult to reach areas, said Judge Alejandro Ramelli, president of the court.” (NYT, 5/5/25)
As a result of the funding cuts, the Center for Victims of Torture, an organization that offers counseling and rehabilitative care to survivors of torture in Ethiopia, Jordan, and elsewhere, has had to pause services, which “meant telling people who survived torture and fled from authoritarian regimes and from active conflict zones that the treatment that we were providing them was finished, without any advance warning.” (Washington Post, 5/1/25)
Domestic Impacts
VIDEO: Iowa Farmers Union president on concerns over USAID cuts: "We're all going to feel it." (CBS News, 07/18/25)
Termination of the Food for Peace program has negatively impacted Kansas farmers and contributed to “swollen silos, shrinking markets and volatile prices for crops.” (NYT, 07/07/25)
As a result of USAID cuts, the Penn Development Research Initiative is cutting staff and ending several projects that “generate reports for U.S. policymakers to inform foreign policy decisions,” including a study “of the effectiveness of projects the agency had funded, to see how it could be more efficient and how it could improve them.” (WHYY, 05/28/2025)
The total number of foreign aid grant awardees “has fallen from 2,562 to 306” since the cuts have been implemented. The “award cancellations will bankrupt more firms, and considerably reduce capacity to negotiate the complexities of USAID contracting amongst many firms that survive...above ninety percent [of awards have been cut] for education, conflict mitigation, family planning, maternal and child health, governance, political competition, private sector and infrastructure—contractor and grantee capacity to deliver foreign assistance projects in those areas will rapidly collapse. U.S. foreign assistance will be considerably less effective as a result.” (The Center for Global Development, 04/21/25)
As a result of the Trump administration’s termination of the Power Africa program, $26.4 billion in deals with U.S. companies are now “in jeopardy.” “While some of these projects could go ahead without Power Africa, others are likely to hit roadblocks, people involved with the program said.” According to an internal Power Africa document, “Chinese and Middle Eastern companies are likely to fill this void.” (Washington Post, 04/14/25)
Despite a federal court order to pay out USAID contracts and grants for “all foreign assistance work done by mid-February,” the payments still have not been fulfilled, “and as of a March 27 court filing, more than 6,000 payments still needed to be processed.” If the administration does not resume issuing “significant payments,” organizations like Edesia and MANA Nutrition who manage life-saving food programs, will not be able to continue. “[N]early 19,000 American jobs have been lost and more than 166,000 global jobs have been lost” as a result of the funding cuts. (CNN, 04/02/2025)
Johns Hopkins University (JHU) “has had to wind down much of its USAID grant-related activities in Baltimore and internationally. This has resulted in the loss of more than 2,200 jobs—1,975 positions in 44 countries and another 247 positions in the U.S., most of them in Baltimore.” The cuts will impact JHU’s efforts to accelerate research to eliminate tuberculosis, reduce the spread of malaria in Tanzania, provide services and supports for pregnant mothers in Nigeria and Afghanistan, support diarrhea prevention in Bangladesh, provide HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs in India and Africa, “and work in partnership with governments and media in multiple countries to reduce vaccine hesitancy.” (Johns Hopkins University, 03/14/2025)
“After more than a decade of innovation labs that have helped feed the world and improve global food systems in partnership with the U.S. federal government, Kansas State University will suspend the operation of its two current Feed the Future Innovation Labs on April 12.” (Kansas State University, 03/14/2025)
“The termination of $800 million in grants to Johns Hopkins University is spurring the leading university funder of research and development to plan layoffs and cancel health projects, from breast-feeding support efforts in Baltimore to mosquito-net programs in Mozambique.” (Wall Street Journal, 03/11/2025)
NC State University has halted all work on two USAID-funded programs focused on workforce development in Honduras and agricultural research in Kenya. The University’s College of Agriculture and Life Science has used these programs to “compete internationally and have access to crops not commonly found in the U.S., as well as foster positive international trade relationships.” (Technician, 02/25/2025)
The Soybean Innovation Lab, located on the University of Illinois campus, will close due to the freeze on USAID funding. The lab is part of USAID’s “Feed the Future” initiative and incorporates contributions from other universities, including Iowa State University, Mississippi State University, and the University of Missouri. (AP, 02/19/2025)
Konbit Sante, a nonprofit based in Falmouth, Maine, ended its “long-running prenatal and newborn care program that served thousands in northern Haiti.” The nonprofit funded women’s health services at an emergency health clinic, added a 17-bed maternity ward, and provided training, supplies, and salaries to 8 nurses and 24 community health workers serving a poor neighborhood in Cap-Haitien, the country’s second-largest city. (Portland Press Herald, 02/08/2025)
At least 180,000 metric tons of planned purchases from American farmers have been stopped, including at least 60,000 metric tons of soy products which cannot be delivered. Planned grain sales for Food for Progress alone in January and February totaled about 315,000 metric tons, worth $150 million. (Devex, 02/07/2025; Reuters, 02/05/2025)
Grants to purchase 235,000 tons of wheat have been paused, leaving the wheat stranded in warehouses in Houston, TX. There are no USAID staff to book transportation, coordinate receiving the shipment, or ensure security for the food. (KHOU-11, 02/07/2025; Devex, 02/07/2025).
More than 29,000 metric tons of food commodities, valued at $39 million, are stuck at USAID warehouses in Houston unable to be loaded onto U.S.-flagged ships. The issue is also impacting ports in Boston, Miami, Norfolk, Savannah, New York, Chicago and Lake Charles. (KHOU-11, 02/07/2025).
“MCD Global Health of Hallowell, [Maine,] has had to halt its mission to combat malaria in Mozambique, Uganda and Niger.” The organization also operated a program to support maternal and child mental health in Benin and supported an HIV/AIDS programs for military personnel in Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe. (Portland Press Herald, 02/08/2025; Maine Wire, 02/06/2025)
The purchase of more than 200,000 metric tons of wheat, valued at $65 million and grown by American farmers, has been paused. (Star Tribune, 02/06/2025)
Contracts to produce vital nutrition treatments at U.S. factories in Georgia and Rhode Island have been suspended. Some previously manufactured nutrition treatments are sitting in warehouses ready to be delivered to children in dire need. (Boston Globe, 02/04/2025)