Oxfam: US Foreign Aid Cuts Could Result in 9 Million Deaths by 2030

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reported that total international aid from member nations fell to $174.3 billion last year, down from $215.1 billion in 2024. This decline marks a 23.1% drop, a contraction that researchers at the Barcelona Institute of Global Health warn will have lethal consequences. According to their projections, current funding trajectories could lead to over 9.4 million excess deaths from preventable diseases, including AIDS and malaria, alongside starvation, by 2030.

While Germany has emerged as the world's leading aid provider with $29.1 billion in contributions, the top five donors—including the United Kingdom, Japan, and France—all reported significant budget cuts, accounting for nearly 96% of the global decline. Carsten Staur, chair of the OECD's Development Assistance Committee, noted that the world faces rising humanitarian instability, yet donor nations are increasingly prioritizing military financing over essential development programs.

Didier Jacobs, development finance lead for Oxfam, characterized the shift as a reckless move that abandons the Global South while the administration simultaneously seeks billions for military expansion. He argued that the resources exist to protect the global humanitarian system, pointing to the estimated $2.84 trillion in assets currently held by the super-rich in tax havens as a potential source for funding.