The Tragic Cost of Abandoning Foreign Aid
On the edge of a West African jungle, donated U.S. medicines gather dust in a warehouse—enough to treat millions for deadly diseases like river blindness, schistosomiasis, and malaria. Why? Because the Trump administration shut down U.S.A.I.D. programs and canceled distribution plans, despite these drugs costing taxpayers nothing. Each dollar of investment in these programs leveraged $26 in donated medicine.The result? Children and pregnant women are dying in Liberia and Sierra Leone due to lack of basic medicine and functioning ambulances—vehicles the U.S. paid for but now sit idle because fuel funding was cut. A young mother, Yamah Freeman, bled to death while villagers tried to carry her 10 miles to a hospital. A 1-year-old child, Gbessey, died of malaria. Others with HIV went without lifesaving antiretrovirals for months.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Elon Musk claim no one has died from these cuts. They are wrong. Aid workers and grieving families can tell them otherwise.
This isn’t just about morality. Slashing U.S. foreign aid undermines global health security and cedes influence to China. We were once leaders in fighting AIDS and malaria. We protected American interests and values. Now, recklessness and indifference—bordering on cruelty—are leaving behind a trail of unnecessary deaths.
We cannot remain silent. Congress must act to restore and protect this aid. For those asking how to help, advocacy groups like Results.org and nonprofits like Helen Keller Intl are doing vital work to fill the gap our government left behind.
"For more, visit “Call for Social Justice blog post."& @kakasmanu
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