In Farchana, Chad, US foreign aid cuts have left refugees and local communities struggling to survive. Health clinics are overwhelmed, schools are shutting down, and food programs are collapsing. Over 60,000 refugees from Sudan’s civil war now face a desperate future as American support vanishes.
Health centers like the Farchana clinic, built for 10,000 people, now serve six times that number. Dr. Albachir Mahamat says funding cuts have forced him to turn away malnourished children. “When the aid stopped, students left for Europe or died at sea,” said a school principal. Life-saving HIV programs are also crumbling, with patients like Florence Makumene fearing a return to “the old days when HIV meant death.”
Food shortages hit hardest in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where nearly three million people rely on US aid. Haile Tsige, a refugee, says his family has no food for the next 90 days: “We fear we are destined for death.” The World Food Programme has slashed rations in Kenya and Bangladesh, leaving families to scavenge for scraps.
Conservative leaders argue America has a moral duty to protect the vulnerable. Rev. Gabriel Salguero warns against “indiscriminate” cuts, stressing these are “men, women, and children created in God’s image.” The US has long used aid to project compassion and stability abroad, but now rivals like China are filling the void with their own investments.
Disease outbreaks are surging as US-funded health programs vanish. Labs in Uganda can’t contain Ebola, while Congo battles Marburg virus. Michael Baleke reports that aid cuts have left clinics unprepared, risking global pandemics. Over 28,000 new infections and 200,000 polio cases are expected yearly without US support.
African leaders quietly admit reliance on foreign aid but frame cuts as a “wake-up call” for self-reliance. Yet experts warn this optimism ignores the immediate crisis. Programs training doctors, vaccinating children, and fighting drug trafficking have halted, leaving communities exposed.
Evangelical groups emphasize that aid reflects American values. “Doing good for others makes us safer and more prosperous,” said humanitarian worker Gordon Schuler. Cuts to HIV funding alone could cause 6.3 million deaths by 2029, reversing decades of progress.
The human cost of aid cuts is a stark reminder of America’s role as a global leader. While fiscal responsibility matters, conservatives stress that abandoning the vulnerable undermines both moral authority and national security. As China expands its influence, the US retreat risks leaving a legacy of suffering and lost opportunity.
