USAID dismantling triggers emergency aid disruption; researchers warn of massive long-term mortality impact

As the administration dismantled and defunded major parts of USAID, emergency humanitarian operations were disrupted, including a reported order to destroy hundreds of tons of stored food aid rather than ship it overseas. Separately, researchers published analyses (including a Lancet study) estimating that if deep USAID funding cuts persist through 2030, they could contribute to more than 14 million additional deaths worldwide, including millions of children under five.