Published • loading... • Updated
A surge in violence followed Trump's cuts to USAID programs in Africa, a study finds
Researchers said more than 90% of foreign aid contracts were cut, and violence rose in Africa’s most USAID-dependent regions after the shutdown.
- On Thursday, a study published in the journal Science linked the dissolution of the U.S. Agency for International Development to increased violence in African regions that previously relied on the agency for support.
- President Donald Trump's administration dissolved USAID last year, eliminating more than 90% of foreign aid contracts and cutting some $60 billion in funding that supported African governments responding to multiple crises.
- Researchers correlated the abrupt USAID withdrawal with sustained conflict increases in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Ivory Coast, where programs had helped counter threats from Boko Haram and other insurgent groups.
- The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data reported Wednesday that jihadis have increasingly targeted civilians over four years, with senior Africa analyst Ladd Serwat noting lost aid programs removed critical community support.
- Study authors stated "large-scale, sudden aid cuts can destabilize fragile settings," though clarifying this is not evidence more aid reduces conflict. Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale School of Public Health, warned restoring funds cannot replace lost institutional experience.
Insights by Ground AI
32 Articles
32 Articles
In 2025, the US government collated its development aid. A Swiss researcher shows that the result is more violence.
·Zürich, Switzerland
Read Full Article
Trump’s USAID shutdown linked to rising violence in Africa, new study finds
A new study says the abrupt shutdown of USAID under Donald Trump was followed by increased violence in several African regions heavily dependent on U.S. aid, including areas battling insurgency and humanitarian crises.
·United States
Read Full Article
Coverage Details
Total News Sources32
Leaning Left14Leaning Right3Center9Last UpdatedBias Distribution54% Left
Bias Distribution
- 54% of the sources lean Left
54% Left
L 54%
C 35%
11%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
