XUNICEF News and Views

A fitting response to Trillionaire Elon Musk by Nick Kristof of the NY Times. U.S.A.I.D. Cuts Killed People. That’s the Truth.

The war in the Middle East has increased prices for critical elements like fuel. The article reports how the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development and cuts in humanitarian funding have severely reduced aid to vulnerable countries like Somalia at the very moment global crises are intensifying.

Title: Opinion | This Is What Happened After We Gutted U.S.A.I.D. Author: Nicholas Kristof Publication: The New York Times Date: May 9, 2026

USAID was one of the first agencies Elon Musk 'fed to the Woodchipper' on behalf of the Trump Administration.  Many articles have appeared in the months since those cuts detailing the damage done. In n this op-ed the author details again the long list. 

Editor's Note:  While Rovina's Choice illuminates the devastating impact of cuts in USAID, its message extends far beyond one agency. The film confronts us with a stark reality: behind every foreign aid debate lie families forced to make impossible choices. Through one mother's struggle to feed her children, we witness the human cost of policy decisions made in distant capitals.  Please share this film widely. Send it to friends and family. Show it in your faith communities and civic groups. These stories need to be seen. -------- Hi everyone, The New Yorker has produced a 25 minute documentary on severe malnutrition and the impact of the USAID shutdown. Its called Rovina’s Choice. Atul Gawande narrates it. I think it’s brilliant. They have decided to make the film available without subscription via their YouTube channel. Please have a look.  Consider: how best to promote this work. How would Jim Grant have dealt with today’s situation? Many of you knew him very well an...

They take the money and go: why not everyone is mourning the end of USAID Mara Kardas-Nelson The Guardian Click here for the article Summary This article explores how the dramatic cuts and de-facto dismantling of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Donald Trump administration is resonating globally.

Our former ED, Henrietta Fore, is back in the news, reflecting on the period in which she was managing both the US State Department's Foreign Assistance Bureau and USAID.  Although she laments the loss of so many experienced staff at USAID, she remains a supporter of the consolidation. Fore is now the CEO of Holsman International, which is an investment, advisory and management services company.   Tom   Henrietta Fore reflects on USAID–State merger debate By Devex staff; Oral History Interview by Alex Shakow Devex / Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Click here for the article: Devex Click here for the article: ADST Oral History PDF Summary Henrietta Fore, former USAID Administrator and now CEO of Holsman International, has spoken openly about her experience managing both USAID and the State Department’s Foreign Assistance Bureau during the George W. Bush administration. At the time, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pursued a merger concept that...

A $45 Treatment Can Save a Starving Child. US Aid Cuts Have Frozen the Supply By Apoorva Mandavilli | The New York Times Click here for the article Summary The dismantling of USAID and subsequent US aid cuts have severely disrupted global malnutrition treatment programs, leaving millions of children at risk.

Shared by Robert Cohen  America has a momentary fixation on issues like Epstein, while allowing much bigger issues slip by unnoticed.

Shared by Tom McDermott We don't often think of the first Trump administration as one showing good foreign policy. This argues that in fact the administration accomplished quite a few very positive steps. The real mystery is why he so quickly threw away that legacy at the outset of his second administration.

Shared by Tom McDermott This article by the former USAID communications lead raises a question - how well has any agency for international humanitarian or development aid done in 'selling' the public in donor countries on the importance of the work it does? 

Article shared by Robert Cohen and Kul Gautam, Comments by Kul Gautam A must-read column by Nick Kristof. He offers fitting answers to critics of foreign aid who blame it as wasteful & ineffective, and why we must redirect those funds to tackle domestic problems in the US & Europe.

Article shared by Kul Gautam Click here for the article Summary Nicholas Kristof reports from Sierra Leone and Liberia on the catastrophic human cost of the abrupt shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. by the Trump administration.

Article shared by Kul Gautam A gripping blow-by-blow account of how USAID was thrown into the woodchipper, as the world's richest man cheered. Kul

Article shared by Kul Gautam Bless you, Nicholas Kristof, for touching our heartstrings with many such op-eds. Many problems in the world are complex and intractable, but combating malnutrition is not one of them.

Article shared by Robert Cohen Click here for the article Summary The Trump administration's abrupt withdrawal of U.S. foreign aid has led to destabilization in some of the world's most fragile regions.

Article shared by Niloufar Pourzand Editor's Note: Apparently in reaction to the news of USAID cutting an additional 42 projects and the sharp criticism by the head of WFP who said that, "It's a death sentence for millions of people", USAID restored food aid projects in  WFP programs in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Ecuador and Somalia, but continued the cuts for many other projects. Confused?  So is the entire aid community.

Article shared by Kul Gautam Bless you, dear Sam Daley-Harris, for your enlightened expression of compassion and solidarity for humanity—especially for the millions of needlessly endangered children who could be saved and whose lives could be enriched.

Article shared by John Gilmartin I suppose this is Lancet’s obituary for AID as most people call it who worked with it.