Image by Ian Borg.

It is a stark reflection of our world, its prevailing values and ideals, that leaders of some of the richest nations invest billions in instruments of death and destruction, while ignoring the basic needs of the poorest people on Earth.

At its best, Overseas Development Aid (ODA) is a demonstration of collective compassion — an act of sharing; a manifestation of that simple yet profound Christian injunction: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Mark 12:31). A commandment that challenges the false belief in separation, pointing instead to the deeper reality of oneness.

ODA has never been sufficient to meet the needs of people living in formerly colonised nations — primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, but also in parts of Asia, South America, and elsewhere. And now, the world’s major donors — the United States, by far the largest contributor with roughly 30% of global ODA, followed by Germany (17%) and the United Kingdom (7.5%) — are cutting even that inadequate amount.

Combined, these three nations provide more than half of all global aid (around 54.5%). Other wealthy states, including France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, have followed the U.S. lead and reduced their contributions to overseas development programmes.

Since Trump imposed a 90-day freeze on all U.S. overseas aid in January, the USAID budget has been slashed — with an estimated 83% of recipient programmes cut or suspended. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that “approximately 5,200 of USAID’s 6,200 programmes are being terminated, with only about 18% remaining to be transferred to the State Department.

The consequences of these draconian measures for humanitarian aid operations worldwide are severe.

According to a report published in The Lancet, 14 million people will die by 2030 as a consequence of the unprecedented cuts — 4.5 million of whom are children under the age of five.

Calculated suffering

The impact of these massive cuts has been devastating, both on specific programmes and across the United Nations system. The UN has warned that it is now “facing the most severe funding shortfall in the history of humanitarian aid” — due in large measure to the actions of President Trump — who makes no secret of his contempt for the UN. The consequences have been both immediate and catastrophic.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has been forced to scale back its lifesaving operations across sub-Saharan Africa, leaving an estimated 14 million people at risk of malnutrition and starvation. WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain

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