KQED's Forum USAID Died Slowly, Alongside America’s Role in Global Health
Sep 22, 2025
Elissa Miolene, a global development reporter, discusses the devastating effects of USAID program cuts on humanitarian aid. Hana Kiros from The Atlantic highlights the 'fire sale' of abandoned assets and how partner nations are scrambling to cope with the sudden loss. Carson Cristiano, executive director of CEGA, emphasizes the dangers of lost data and the long-term impact these cuts pose for global health efforts. Together, they paint a stark picture of America's retreat from its crucial role in international development.
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USAID Was A Global Backbone
- USAID once served as a global backbone delivering vaccines, contraceptives, and disaster relief across many channels.
- Its sudden hollowing out created cascading impacts on UN agencies, NGOs, and local clinics worldwide.
Stop-Work Order Created Global Chaos
- The Trump administration froze foreign aid with a stop-work order that created confusion and program halts across dozens of countries.
- Even exempted programs faced funding and operational interruptions for months afterward.
Tiny Budget, Huge Global Leverage
- Foreign aid is a tiny fraction of the U.S. budget (about 0.2%) yet it leverages significant global impact due to the U.S. economy's scale.
- Cutting it was symbolic and signaled broader federal overhaul beyond simple savings.