The U.S. government officially terminated 83% of USAID contracts, leaving millions at risk. Learn about the immediate impacts and discover why community-led aid models are crucial in sustaining the solutions our world urgently needs.
Breaking—The Trump administration has been ordered to pay debts to several USAID partners. We will continue to update this article as new information arises.
6,200 USAID contracts were officially cancelled this week. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the remaining 1,000 or so contracts would be administered by the State Department, which absorbed the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) last month.
Source: NPR
While some emergency programs were granted temporary waivers in late January—such as food aid for Syrian refugees, health clinics combating Ebola in Uganda, and HIV medicine suppliers for the Democratic Republic of Congo—the U.S. government reversed course in late February, ending nearly 10,000 aid programs all at once. This includes food aid to the most vulnerable populations, including refugees.
Source: Pro Publica
Last week, a top USAID official warned of catastrophic consequences if cuts to global health aid are not reversed. In memos obtained by NPR, Nicholas Enrich, USAID’s acting assistant administrator for global health, detailed projections of how many people could become sick or die if the pause in aid continues.
Without intervention, 1 million children could go without food and nutrition, malaria cases could rise by 17.9 million, and tuberculosis rates could increase by up to 32%.
Additionally, emerging diseases like Ebola could affect 28,000 people, and polio could paralyze 200,000 more over the next decade. The death toll, Enrich warns, could exceed the millions.
Source: NPR
The abrupt decision to freeze foreign aid has stopped all of the vital work that USAID-supported organizations were doing. Among the hardest hit are several of the largest U.S.-funded HIV/AIDS programs in South Africa, which were informed their funding would not resume.
Similarly, the International Rescue Committee reported that 31 of its 41 stabilization centers—critical in-patient centers for severely malnourished children—received termination notices. While some have since been rescinded, many centers are now closed, understaffed, or running out of food.
There are also major concerns about tuberculosis, one of the world’s deadliest diseases, with 1.25 million annual deaths. Tereza Kasaeva of the WHO warns that the halt in U.S. aid could have “fatal consequences for millions worldwide,” as the U.S. has long funded about a quarter of global TB efforts.
Source: Reuters + Diplomacy.state + Brookings
Emergency food aid programs are experiencing huge disruptions. In Ethiopia, nearly 16 million people relied on U.S.-sourced food aid in 2024, but the USAID termination has caused critical delays. The World Food Programme (WFP) was forced to cut rations for refugees as 34,880 metric tonnes of food—enough to feed 2.1 million people for a month—remain stuck in Djibouti’s port. USAID’s payments system is offline, preventing the purchase of new supplies, deepening the crisis. Similarly, millions of pounds of American-grown soybeans headed to refugee camps overseas were diverted to warehouses instead.
As more information is released about the impact of the U.S. funding halt on emergency food deliveries, we are in communication with our trusted community of thousands of vetted nonprofit partners around the world.
Source: NBC + The Guardian
The U.S. government provided roughly $72 billion in aid in 2024 across a wide range of areas, from helping people access clean water, sanitation, healthcare and energy, to providing disaster relief like shelter and food.
Although significant, foreign aid comprises less than 0.2% of the United State’s gross national product (GNP), or the total value of goods and services produced by a country, and around 1% of the federal budget.
Source: Reuters + Diplomacy.state + Pew Research
“We are still collecting data and stories, but so far, more than half of GlobalGiving’s nonprofit partners whom we’ve heard from are impacted,” said Victoria Vrana, GlobalGiving CEO.
“Organizations that have spent years building trust and delivering essential services are suddenly being forced to shut down. And with funding frozen, there’s no time to find alternatives,” said Vrana.
Local, vetted organizations are always on the frontlines, delivering essential services and support for their communities every day and in moments of crisis and uncertainty. But they need resources to continue their vital work. Your donation to the GlobalGiving Community Aid Fund will fuel trusted local organizations on the frontlines.
“For more than 20 years, GlobalGiving has worked to ensure grassroots organizations have direct, flexible funding that allows them to adapt, to keep their doors open, and to continue serving their communities no matter what. In moments like this, flexible funding isn’t just helpful, it’s what keeps organizations alive,” said Vrana.
As needs shift, this fund will adapt—ensuring your gift reaches those who need it most, when they need it most.
“I’ve seen firsthand how far trust-based giving can go,” Vrana said. “When we invest in local leaders—when we fund them directly, flexibly, and with trust—they don’t just survive uncertainty. They find ways to build a better future.”
Note: This article was originally published on February 7, 2025. It was updated with the most recent figures and partner information on March 11, 2025.
Find exactly what you're looking for in our Learn Library by searching for specific words or phrases related to the content you need.
