Front Burner The human toll of Trump's war on aid
Dec 18, 2025
Anna Maria Barry-Jester, an investigative reporter at ProPublica with a focus on public health and humanitarian issues, explores the severe implications of Trump's aid cuts. She reveals how these decisions led to chaos within USAID, resulting in halted life-saving services across Africa. Barry-Jester highlights the tragic impact on communities, detailing a cholera outbreak in South Sudan and drastic food ration reductions for refugees in Kenya. The conversation underscores the strategic importance of aid in promoting stability and reducing conflict.
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Scale And Scope Of USAID's Work
- USAID was the world's largest humanitarian donor funding health, food, and development in 100+ countries.
- The 2025 freeze and cuts removed most programs and disrupted essential, wide-ranging services.
Waiver Promises Didn’t Match Reality
- The public claim that lifesaving programs would be exempt clashed with how freezes operated in practice.
- NGOs got mixed waiver letters, were asked to stop, then restart, creating operational chaos.
Cuts Made By Clicking Through A Spreadsheet
- Cuts were executed via a spreadsheet that color-coded and terminated programs without expert consultation.
- Decision-makers canceled thousands of projects by scrolling and flipping items to red or yellow.