THE first target of the richest man in the world was the poorest people on earth.Last year, on the 20th of January, the Trump administration ordered the suspension of all USAID programmes. It was to be the opening salvo in the administration’s war on humanitarian assistance. It culminated in the slashing of almost all humanitarian funding and the entire dismantling of USAID, what was then the largest funding agency for humanitarian and development aid worldwide. At the heart of that effort was Elon Musk, the richest man on earth, assisted by Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State and the President himself. That some of the most vulnerable people in the world were the first in the firing line of the Trump Administration has been particularly cruel. The effects have already been catastrophic, particularly for children. As of 15th January 2026, research by Boston University estimates that over half a million children have already died as a result of the funding cuts. The grave scale of the impact can be partially attributed to the significant role that USAID played in supporting health and nutrition programmes around the world. The effect of those programmes suddenly being cut has been immediately lethal. A study published in medical journal The Lancet, estimated that USAID interventions had saved over 90 million lives over a 21-year period – particularly due to funding to combat HIV/AIDs, malaria and other tropical diseases. They estimate that effects of the cuts could kill more than 14 million people, including 4.5 million children under five before 2030. USAID was providing 70 per cent of the funding to respond to the ongoing crisis in eastern DRC, for example and the cuts have decimated local capacity to respond to hunger, displacement and sexual violence. Tragically, other donor nations, including France, Germany, the UK, Netherlands and Belgium, have also announced significant reductions in their overseas aid budgets. Despite the surge in humanitarian need, from Gaza to Sudan, from Ukraine to DRC, from Haiti to Myanmar, the wealthier nations of the world are shirking their responsibility to respond with even the most meagre effort. Since the largescale Russian invasion in 2022, Ukraine had been the largest recipient of USAID. US funding was covering around 30 per cent of all coordinated humanitarian funding plans in the country. The dramatic cuts last year have had a critical impact on humanitarian response, including health, shelter and emergency cash, as well as broader development funding that helped stabilise Ukraine’s infrastructure. In contrast, Ireland has provided robust and sustained support for humanitarian response to the war in Ukraine for the past four years. In recent weeks, Ireland’s Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora Neale Richmond announced that Trócaire will receive €1 million in funding to deliver much-needed humanitarian assistance to people in Ukraine, in partnership with local Ukrainian organisations and networks. Seán Farrell, CEO of Trócaire, said, “With the support of Irish Aid, Trócaire and our local partner Caritas-Spes Ukraine will deliver a 12-month, community-led cash and winterisation programme in 2026, ensuring vulnerable, displaced and frontline families in Kharkiv and Odesa can meet basic needs and stay warm through another brutal winter.” Despite the continuing violations of the ceasefire and the illegal restrictions placed on civilians’ access to humanitarian assistance, brave humanitarians and medical staff continue to operate every day in Gaza and the West Bank. The Biden administration suspended funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in 2024. UNRWA has, for more than seven decades, provided essential aid and assistance to Palestinian refugees, and has played a central role in coordinating aid in Gaza for many years. The agency has been subject to a significant smear campaign and has been banned by the Israeli government. The Irish government has rightly resisted these efforts and has maintained Ireland’s support for the agency throughout a critical period over the past year. Seán Farrell said, “At a time when much of the world is regressing, when things can seem hopeless, it is heartening for us to see Ireland staying true to our values of compassion, solidarity and justice. At Trócaire, we are extremely proud of the work done by our staff and by the partners and communities we work with around the world. We remain eternally grateful to the people of Ireland, north and south, and Irish government for their support to help us continue doing what we do.” To find out more about the Trócaire Box Appeal or to make a donation visit www.trocaire.org or call 0800 912 1200.
