US aid cuts could unleash serious consequences for millions of people

Speaking to reporters on Friday, UN Secretary General Guterres noted that serious cuts to humanitarian aid by the US is going to unleash highly damaging consequences for millions of people across the globe.

Guterres said these cuts impact a broad range of critical programmes. He expressed the UN’s gratitude “for the leading role” the US has played in relation to foreign aid. But the recent cuts come against a backdrop of intensifying global crises.

From Gaza to Sudan and Syria to Ukraine, the US humanitarian aid directly supports people trying to tackle conflicts, famines and disasters, ensuring essential healthcare, shelter, food and education. The list goes on and on.

In northeast Syria, 2.5 million people require humanitarian assistance. The absence of US funding could unleash a major impact there. The impact of cuts is already being felt in Ukraine. In South Sudan, funding has run out for programmes helping refugees fleeing conflict in Sudan.