New York, NY, February 27, 2025 — The news yesterday that the US State Department, as part of its review of foreign aid spending, is terminating at least 10,000 USAID and State Department grants and contracts will have a massive impact on clients of the International Rescue Committee (IRC). This is especially the case for programs that had previously been classified as “life-saving activities” and therefore been given a waiver from the foreign aid suspension. The termination of these awards will disrupt vital services, including health care, nutrition and other emergency relief, leaving some of the most vulnerable people in the world without services on which they depend for survival.
David Miliband, President and CEO of the IRC, stated, "The termination of these awards is a devastating blow to clients of the IRC. These are people who depend on the US-funded services for the basics of survival. These programs are not just numbers on a spreadsheet; they represent real lives and real futures. The IRC calls on the U.S. government to reconsider this decision and to prioritize the needs of those who rely on this essential aid. The countries affected by these cuts - including Sudan, Yemen, Syria - are home to millions of innocent civilians who are victims of war and disaster. We now face the starkest of stark choices about which services can be protected, and are calling on the American public, corporations and philanthropists to show that America’s generosity of spirit and commitment to the most vulnerable has not been lost."
At the time of writing, the IRC has received at least 39 award terminations. 1.8 million crisis-affected people will not have access to critical services across multiple crisis zones. IRC’s US-funded work on treatment of infectious diseases for thousands of people in humanitarian settings, a key component of global health security, has been terminated, undermining efforts to combat deadly infections in vulnerable populations. Humanitarian services and lifesaving assistance in Sudan, the world’s worst humanitarian crisis on record, have been shut down. The programs affected include services for children with acute malnutrition, putting them at immediate risk.
Not only will these cuts have a tremendous human cost, they undermine the USA’s standing and influence as a credible actor in the most fragile and unstable parts of the world.
The IRC has been a longstanding partner of USAID and the State Department, working tirelessly to deliver aid in some of the world's most challenging environments. Learn more about how you can help IRC meet the moment here.