[Comment] Legitimate expectations and the abrupt cessation of US aid: a human rights issue?

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Source: The Lancet

Original: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02379-7/fullt...

Published: 2025-12-03T23:30:01Z

The abrupt halt to US Official Development Assistance (ODA) began on January 20, 2025, with the new administration's executive order freezing all funds for 90 days.[content] After litigation, ODA was drastically cut, including health funding through programs like PEPFAR.[content] The administration largely disbanded the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).[content] The US canceled 83 percent of programs USAID.[4] Roughly 2,000 USAID headquarters employees were furloughed, and programs were terminated worldwide.[5] USAID administered a budget of $42.8 billion for humanitarian and development assistance.[8] Freezing foreign aid affected both existing and new funds.[2] These actions led to an unprecedented decline in global funding for health and humanitarian aid.[3]