Washington, DC -- Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sara Jacobs, Ranking Member of the Africa Subcommittee, joined by other Africa Subcommittee Democrats, today sent a letter to Secretary Rubio in response to public reporting that the State Department plans to end lifesaving assistance to seven African nations -- Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. The lawmakers argued that this would put millions of lives at risk, threaten regional stability, and undermine U.S. national security.
A PDF copy of the full letter can be found here.
“...During your testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee last year, you insisted that ‘no one has died’ due to the foreign aid cuts that you authorized as Secretary of State. The situation on the ground tells a different story. Life-threatening hunger, malnutrition, and disease outbreaks continue unabated, resulting in as many as 1 million preventable deaths in 2025. Further aid cuts would undoubtedly result in even more preventable deaths. In Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, and Niger, the UN estimates that 15 million people are in need of lifesaving aid.
“Foreign assistance is not merely charity, it demonstrates American leadership. It is a low-cost means of promoting peace and stability abroad while furthering U.S. national security. Nowhere is the dire impact of your foreign aid cuts clearer than in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Center for Global Development estimates that cuts to U.S. foreign assistance caused a 5 percent increase in armed conflict and conflict-related deaths in Africa in 2025. Ending humanitarian aid to Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, Niger, and Somalia could result in even worse outcomes, with consequences extending far beyond their borders. It does not make the U.S. safer, stronger, or more prosperous. It only benefits Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other extremist groups who thrive on instability, prey on the African people, and will use every opportunity to exploit your Administration’s callousness.”
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