The Trump administration’s decision to freeze U.S. foreign humanitarian aid and shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is already having devastating consequences worldwide, leaders of humanitarian organizations told ABC News.
The abrupt funding halt has disrupted crucial services for vulnerable populations, from HIV/AIDS patients to war-affected civilians.
HIV/AIDS Programs at Risk: Millions of Lives Hang in the Balance
Christine Stegling, deputy executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and assistant secretary-general of the United Nations, emphasized the severe impact of the aid freeze on global HIV and AIDS programs.
“The United States Government provides about 70% of all funding for HIV and AIDS globally, and so pausing any of that is a big shock to the system,” Stegling told ABC News.
While Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently stated that waivers could allow some critical aid to continue, Stegling noted that confusion remains over their implementation and scope. In the meantime, community clinics are shutting down due to uncertainty about funding and potential financial liabilities.
“Community clinics are closed because communities are not sure what the guidance is, and they’re not sure what costs can be covered, and they’re afraid that they will be asked to repay services that they have charged to U.S. government contracts,” she said.
Stegling warned that if all HIV/AIDS funding is halted, more than six million people could die from AIDS-related causes by 2029.
“These are people’s lives that are really at risk here that we need to consider as we’re thinking about the future,” she added.
Ukraine’s Frontline Civilians Face Freezing Conditions
Since Russia’s 2022 invasion, Ukraine has been the top recipient of U.S. foreign assistance, but the recent aid freeze has left many civilians in dire straits. Yuriy Boyechko, founder and president of Hope for Ukraine, told ABC News that the freeze threatens essential survival resources such as firewood, which many Ukrainian civilians rely on amid harsh winter conditions.
“Firewood is a lifeline right now for the people in Ukraine,” Boyechko said. “They don’t have electricity, they don’t have gas. They rely on firewood to keep them warm in freezing temperature[s], and they rely on their firewood to cook their meals.”
Without immediate intervention from other organizations, he warned that many Ukrainians would be left to endure the brutal cold.
“It’s created a lot of distrust inside of the population inside of Ukraine because we [have] always been relying on [the] United States,” he said. “[The] United States got our back in the darkest period of time, and now, since USAID is pulling away, a lot of people [are] losing hope.”
Congo Conflict Worsens as Peace Efforts Stall
The aid freeze has also crippled peace-building efforts in conflict zones, including eastern Congo, where war has escalated. Search for Common Ground, a global peace organization that receives 40% of its funding from the U.S., has been forced to halt key programs.
“We had to freeze the mobilization in the east of the country that was intended to prevent recruitment into the rebel movement that is gaining ground there,” CEO Shamil Idriss told ABC News.
Perhaps most concerning, Idriss noted that funding cuts have silenced a network of radio stations that provided life-saving information to civilians fleeing violence.
“Literally, today, people are running in the wrong direction,” he said. “They’re fleeing towards violence, rather than away from it.”
Idriss expressed frustration over the disorganized nature of the aid cuts, saying they have created confusion across more than 30 projects.
“Some of the information was inconsistent, ambiguous, or even contradictory,” he said. “Chaos has really ensued. We’re hopeful that, you know, cooler heads will prevail within the administration shortly.”
Inna Varenytsia/Reuters
Aid Cuts Leave Vulnerable Women in Latin America Without Protection
The impact of the aid freeze extends to Latin America, where support programs for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking are being forced to shut down. Noah Gottschalk, senior director for international advocacy at HIAS, a Jewish refugee and immigrant aid organization, called the situation “total and complete chaos.”
“We’ve had to stop programs, for example, with survivors of violence against women in Latin America, in countries like Colombia, in countries like Ecuador—women who fled abusive partners,” Gottschalk told ABC News.
The sudden loss of support, he said, could force many women to return to their abusers or leave them vulnerable to human trafficking networks.
Global Fallout: Who Will Fill the Void?
Beyond the immediate humanitarian impact, Gottschalk warned that the withdrawal of U.S. aid could have long-term geopolitical consequences.
“The U.S. abandoning some of the most desperate people in the world right now absolutely will create a vacuum,” he said. “And I’m deeply concerned about who is going to fill that vacuum, whether it’s armed groups, whether it’s cartels, human traffickers.”
As global leaders scramble to address the repercussions of the Trump administration’s aid freeze, millions of lives remain in limbo, caught in the crossfire of shifting U.S. policy.
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