In early 2025, the Trump administration cancelled roughly 83% of grants administered by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Other major donor governments, including the United Kingdom and Germany, followed suit, marking a devastating blow to global humanitarian efforts.

Behind these cuts is a devastating reality: millions of people are losing access to services they rely on to survive. Health clinics have closed. Children are no longer able to attend school. Protection services have shuttered.

This is a matter of life or death.

At a time when the humanitarian landscape is defined by urgent need and declining global investment, some believe the humanitarian movement is in retreat. At the International Rescue Committee (IRC), it is just the opposite. Our focus remains on reaching people in crisis with cost‑effective solutions and adapting to meet today’s challenges.

Read on to learn what’s at risk and find out how you can help.

What is humanitarian aid and why is it important?

Humanitarian aid is assistance designed to save lives and reduce suffering during and after crises, such as floods, famine or conflicts. It helps families meet immediate needs, like food, health care, clean water, and shelter, while supporting recovery and long-term stability.

In the last 30 years, humanitarian programs have driven major global progress. Extreme poverty has fallen dramatically, immunization campaigns have saved millions of children’s lives, and preventable diseases like smallpox have been eradicated. Child mortality worldwide has dropped by half.

Today, that progress is at risk. The IRC’s 2026 Emergency Watchlist highlights a dangerous divergence between soaring crises and collapsing support for humanitarian aid, leaving families without the health care, nutrition, protection, and education they depend on. 

An IRC health care member screens a young girl for signs of malnutrition.
Six-year-old Fidaya attends a check-up at an IRC Health Center in Ethiopia. Fidaya previously received life-saving treatment at the center after developing a severe condition due to acute malnutrition. She has made a full recovery and can now play with her friends again.
Photo: Yilmazer Birhanu for the IRC

How have aid cuts impacted humanitarian programs?

U.S. funding terminations and freezes have disrupted vital services, including health care, nutrition support, education, and emergency relief. These cuts are not easily reversed. 

Countries affected, including Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen and Syria, are home to millions of civilians who have endured years of conflict and instability. For many communities, humanitarian aid is not supplemental support; it is a lifeline.

Millions have lost vital services

Funding cuts are impacting the entire humanitarian sector, forcing organizations worldwide to scale back or shut down programs. The scale of disruption is severe. At the IRC alone, more than 6 million clients have experienced service interruptions, and 2 million have lost services entirely. 

The world’s most vulnerable bear the impact. U.S.-funded malnutrition and health clinics have closed, reducing access to care for severely malnourished children and essential health services. Funding cuts have also disrupted education, clean water, food assistance and other basic needs, leaving families without vital services they previously relied on.

A young child is screened for malnutrition by an IRC staff member in Afghanistan..
U.S. funding and programs were fully terminated in Afghanistan, where 1 in 3 Afghans face acute food insecurity. The IRC has been able to keep many services in operation through private donor support and internal funding reserves, but funding could soon run out.
Photo: Abdul Khaliq Sediqi for the IRC

How the IRC is responding

Despite drops in funding, IRC teams have worked to secure alternative funding, reduced costs without compromising care, and continued to work with local partners to sustain vital programs. As a result, millions of people—especially women and girls—have continued to receive healthcare, food assistance, vaccines and protection when they need them most. 

However, urgent support is needed to sustain our work.

Driven by innovation and research

As an industry leader in cost efficiency and impact evaluation, the IRC prioritizes interventions with the strongest track record per dollar. We are investing in a research and innovation agenda to shape the next generation of breakthrough interventions.

Today, the IRC has more than 20 AI-enabled initiatives embedded across programs supported by strong governance, staff training, and data safeguards. These tools help us anticipate crises, support staff capacity, and deliver clearer, faster information to people who need it most.

Our innovations include:

Delivering impact in crisis-affected communities

Across emergencies and protracted crises, the IRC is focusing on flagship interventions that can be delivered at scale and at lower cost:

An IRC staff member consults a mother and her child.
The IRC has delivered over 25 million vaccine doses, with costs falling to just $2 per dose. We’re proving that immunization can be both scalable and affordable in humanitarian contexts.
Photo: Martha Tadesse for the IRC

Our work in the U.S.

Within the U.S., the IRC delivers critical services in 29 cities across 17 states, supporting refugees, asylum seekers, and other newcomers as they rebuild their lives.

Our U.S. programs include legal information and representation, crisis assistance for vulnerable children, support for survivors of trafficking, and help meeting basic needs like housing, food, and employment. As policies shift and needs grow, the IRC remains focused on protecting rights, promoting stability, and ensuring newcomers are welcomed with dignity.

We urgently need your support

The IRC has always risen to the moment in the most challenging situations for our clients, and we will continue to do so. However, we urgently need your support to keep critical services going, and to help us reach more people in need during these critical times.

Donate: The IRC relies on donors like you to deliver lasting impact in more than 40 crisis-affected countries worldwide.

Learn more about how you can help the IRC continue our mission.

More from the IRC

The International Rescue Committee has over 90 years of experience helping people affected by crisis in more than 40 countries to survive, recover and rebuild their lives. We also help refugees and displaced people resettle and integrate into new communities in the U.S. and across Europe.

Our ratings: We consistently earn top marks from charity watchdog groups for our efficient use of donor contributions and the effectiveness of our work.

Get connected: Follow the IRC on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Bluesky and X.

Stay informed: Learn more about the world’s most pressing crises and what the IRC is doing to help.