PBS, 25 August 2026
It’s been 18 months since the Trump administration made cuts to foreign aid. One of the countries hardest-hit is Afghanistan. In January 2025, the Trump administration terminated more than $1.7 billion in assistance, causing a major strain on the system and putting women and children throughout the country at risk. In a new report, Refugees International attributes over 160 deaths during the last 18 months to cuts in aid.
The remote rocky mountains of rural Herat. (…) These desperately poor villages were once served by rural and mobile clinics and feeding services funded primarily by the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. But after the devastating funding cuts of the past two years, that lifeline for remote areas like these has disappeared.As we start to speak to other villagers, it’s the same story down every alley in every home. (…)
Like most of the women here, Simagul never has enough to eat. She tried for seven years to have a baby. Finally, last year, little Fahim arrived. She was so undernourished she couldn’t breast-feed or afford other food for him. Unable to get to a government hospital or pay their fees, 6-month-old Fahim got worse. (…)
When they finally reached the nearest clinic, miles away (…), there was nothing they could do for him.
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This article was last updated on 26 Aug 2026
