USAID warns of deaths from foreign aid cuts

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has warned the Trump administration’s decision about the agency would result in unnecessary deaths.

Nicholas Enrich in an email on Sunday warned the Trump administration’s dismantling of the agency would result in unnecessary deaths.

He informed his staff less than 30 minutes later to say that he had been placed on leave, Reuters reported.

Enrich, USAID’s acting assistant administrator for global health, said in a seven-page memo shared with staff “political leadership” had made it impossible to deliver lifesaving humanitarian assistance around the world.

He said contradicting assurances from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that such aid would continue despite President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk’s cost-cutting campaign.

Twenty minutes later, Enrich sent another email, which was also seen by Reuters, that he had “just received notification that I have been placed on administrative leave, effective immediately.”

A source familiar with the matter said the decision to put Enrich on administrative leave was made Wednesday, before he sent his email on the consequences of USAID’s dismantling.

The Trump administration announced last week that it was canceling nearly 10,000 foreign aid grants and contracts worth almost $60 billion, ending about 90% of USAID’s global work.

sa/mud