Aid agency in danger: 14 million lives threatened by USAID withdrawal!

Aid agency in danger: 14 million lives threatened by USAID withdrawal!

There is currently a thick atmosphere in international development cooperation. Federal Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan is worried and makes no secret of it: “There is a lack of money for emergency aid.” In particular, the withdrawal of the USA from global cooperation, largely due to the dismantling of USAID under the administration of Donald Trump, has serious consequences. Again Daily Mirror reports, around 60 billion euros are missing from development aid - that's more than a quarter of global spending. The situation could hardly be more serious: there is no way to fill the financial gaps left by the American withdrawal, which is already having a negative impact on human lives.

But what exactly does this development entail? US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the final end of the US development agency USAID in July 2025. Over 13,000 employees have been laid off and more than 80% of USAID projects are to be canceled. This has directly affected a variety of humanitarian initiatives worldwide. Loud Deutschlandfunk Only about 1,000 projects continue under the State Department. The once unique authority, which has contributed to global health and sustainable development since 1961, has been effectively dismantled.

Growing humanitarian needs and massive cuts

The challenges are enormous. With the end of USAID on July 1, 2025, the international community will lose its most important humanitarian aid donor. The federal government is also planning drastic cuts in its own funds for development cooperation. Jan Sebastian Friedrich-Rust, managing director of “Action Against Hunger,” sounds the alarm: “The funding cuts have dramatic consequences.” Specifically, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 12,000 children under five no longer have access to medical treatment, and in Mozambique, life-saving projects have been canceled, depriving 30,000 people of food aid.

According to research in The Lancet, the dissolution of USAID could cost over 14 million lives by 2030, including 4.5 million children. The effects are also noticeable in Afghanistan: More than 400 health facilities have had to close, leaving three million people without medical care. That tooWorld Food Programis cutting food aid in West and Central Africa due to these cuts.

The future of international cooperation

Where does this change of course in international development cooperation lead? Alabali Radovan now sees Germany in a core role. While other donor countries are withdrawing, Germany will become the largest donor and should play a strategic role in shaping international cooperation. Jan Friedrich-Rust is optimistic that Europe and Germany can fill the financial gap. But critics warn: With the realignment of aid, which should now be more oriented towards economic interests, the foundation of international solidarity could falter.

The world is at a critical turning point. It is time for us to ask ourselves: Are we ready to take responsibility and lead in global cooperation? This shows how the EU and Germany will actually react to the current challenges.