Starting Wednesday afternoon, a series of emails were dispatched by the State Department from Washington, reaching refugee camps, tuberculosis treatment centers, polio vaccination initiatives, and many other organizations that rely on essential funding for their life-saving operations.

The messages began with a stark notification: “This award is being terminated for convenience and in the interest of the U.S. government.”

These brief communications announced the cessation of support for approximately 5,800 projects previously funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This development signifies the conclusion of a turbulent chapter, during which the Trump administration had paused various initiatives for a so-called review process. Unfortunately, any lingering hopes for the continuation of American aid appear to have vanished.

Many of these projects had been earlier granted waivers from the suspension, as the State Department had previously identified their activities as critical and essential to saving lives.

“People will die,” warned Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi, executive director of the African Population and Health Research Center, “but we won’t know the full extent of it, as even the programs designed to track fatalities are being cut.”

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