Andrews criticises “shocking” Trump aid cuts

Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews has criticised American president Donald Trump for his planned cuts to foreign aid, with research indicating up to 14 million people could die as a direct result of the cuts.

Andrews, Chair of the Development Committee in the European Parliament, was citing figures from a Lancet journal study which explored the possible consequences of the Trump administration’s targeted foreign aid cuts.

Andrews stated “we knew that President Trump’s slashing of development aid and sudden gutting of USAID could have drastic effects but the fact that up to 14 million more people could die in the coming years is truly shocking.”

“This research is the first major analysis of the impact of the cuts to USAID across health care, nutrition, humanitarian aid, development and education supports, and water and sanitation interventions. USAID also supported the vital fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria.”

“In addition to the millions of extra deaths these cuts will cause, they also risk reversing decades of progress in health and social development in Africa.”

Andrews criticised what he perceives as a wider trend by global governments to slash aid budgets.

“Many European countries have also slashed their aid budgets, including the UK, France, the Netherlands and Belgium, all down 25 to 40% according to the study. Germany has also missed the UN target of 0.7% of GNI for the first time since 2020,” he noted.

“While Ireland has remained committed to the UN development target spending, it must make development aid a priority during the upcoming negotiations on the long-term EU budget.”

“Ahead of those EU negotiations, it should be independently assessed how many millions of deaths will result in the slashing of these development aid budgets by other European countries.”