Letter to the Editor: Defunding of USAID has led to catastrophic human losses

Dear editor:

In my Thanksgiving travels, I happened to catch the November 23, 2025, “60 Minutes” program about the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). As a frequently failed and flailing would-be follower of Jesus Christ, my conscience was shocked. 

The interview was with Atul Gawnde, an American physician with USAID.  He wrote a recent article in the “New Yorker.”  His piece cited an article in the worldwide respected UK medical/science journal “The Lancet” and Boston University’s Global Health College’s Impact Tracker.  

These independent researchers estimate that the defunding of USAID by the presidential executive order in January 2025 and the subsequent DOGE claim of putting USAID in the “woodchipper” have resulted, by November 2025, in over 600,000 “public manmade deaths” — 427,691 of whom were children.   More than the population of Wyoming!  Eighty-eight deaths per hour!  14 million preventable deaths by 2030; 4.5 million children less than 5 years old.   

U.S.-grown and -manufactured food, including highly nutritious peanut butter pouches, rotted in warehouses and on loading docks and was destroyed, at U.S. taxpayer expense, rather than distributed to starving children.    

USAID’s budget was about $31 billion; we “found” $20 billion to $40 billion for Argentina. USAID was not perfect, but it is credited with saving 92 million lives since 2000, at an annual cost of $24 per American.

Executive orders, budgets and legislation are moral documents that disclose the central morality or moral bankruptcy of those who issue them. Wyoming’s congressional delegation whole heartily supported the ending of USAID. Votes are moral actions that disclose our individual central morality. 

Jesus fed the hungry, healed the sick and cared deeply about children.  In Matthew 25:37, He declared that “Whatever you did not do for the least of these ... you did not do for me.”  It is difficult to imagine anyone “least” than a starving child. 

What can we do?  Donate to entities that continue to work such as: World Vision, UNICEF, World Renew, Heifer, Finca, and national denominational relief funds.  Also, to our local food bank and food pantries. We can also keep contacting our congressional delegation.

Sincerely, 

Tom Harrington

Shell