The global community seems to have received a stark warning based a new study published in The Lancet, President Donald Trump's drastic cuts of US foreign humanitarian aid could lead to over 14 million extra deaths by 2030. The study, based on two decades of global health data, highlights the alarming consequences of retracting the US support to vulnerable groups, especially in low- and middle-income nations. With an estimated third of these deaths likely to be children, the results have left the global aid and public health communities in shock.The Trump administration's wholesale slashing of foreign assistance programs was grounded in the "America First" doctrine, a political ideology that subordinates global involvement to domestic priorities. In March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said more than 80% of all USAID programs had been cut. The sudden rollback came as billionaire Elon Musk—then leading a federal workforce reduction effort—sought to re-make the delivery of aid programs, which critics claim were more concerned with trimming costs than with saving lives.America has traditionally been the globe's biggest giver of humanitarian aid, with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) active in over 60 countries. In 2023 alone, America spent $68 billion on foreign aid. But in March this year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that the Trump administration had terminated more than 80% of all USAID programmes due to a desire to cut wasteful spending, as the administration claimed. It was an effort to cut the federal workforce and trim government operations, led in part by billionaire Elon Musk.As per the Lancet research, written by Davide Rasella of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and colleagues, the suggested 83% funding reduction has the potential to halt or even reverse two decades of improvement in global health. The researchers simulated the probable effect on low- and middle-income countries' mortality and opined that the end of U.S. support would unleash a devastating increase in avoidable deaths.The team from The Lancet study examined data from 133 nations and projected the effect of the cuts over the period to 2030. Their forecasts are grim:Over 14 million extra deaths worldwide by 2030 if the cuts are not reversed.Over 4.5 million of those deaths would be children under the age of five, representing around 700,000 child deaths annually.The impact on global health systems would be "comparable in magnitude to a global pandemic or a major war," co-author Davide Rasella of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health said.The findings of the study are especially concerning for low- and middle-income countries, whose health, nutrition, and development programs have been a lifeline for USAID funding. The sudden cutoff in support risks stopping—and even reversing—two decades of advances in decreasing mortality and enhancing health outcomes among the world's most vulnerable citizens.The United States' withdrawal has had spillovers. In Washington's wake, a number of other donor states, such as the UK, France, and Germany, also reduced their own contributions. The chain reaction has exacerbated the worldwide funding gap for humanitarian projects. The United Nations says that the global humanitarian community is now experiencing "the deepest funding cuts ever," as needs continue higher than ever in response to conflict, climate-related disaster, and pandemic fallout.Between 2001 and 2021, estimated lives saved in developing countries through USAID-supported programmes are 91 million, including 30 million children. The effect was particularly significant among recipient countries with high volumes of aid, where all-cause mortality reduced by 15%, and child mortality declined by 32%. In focus disease areas, mortality due to HIV/AIDS, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases decreased by 74%, 53%, and 51% respectively in recipient countries with significant USAID presence.The cuts now in place risk reversing these hard-won achievements. The authors of the study say the withdrawal of US funding will not only raise mortality but also destabilize health systems, undermine disease control, and deny millions access to life-saving servicesIronically, the release of the Lancet report happened at the same time that a large United Nations-sponsored aid conference took place in Seville, Spain—the largest one in a decade. The lack of U.S. participation in this pivotal meeting did not escape attention. Critics point out that Washington's absence belittles decades of American dominance in global health diplomacy and squanders its credibility as a humanitarian leader.President Trump has consistently justified the cuts as a way to eliminate waste and make sure US spending is aligned with America's national interests. Secretary of State Rubio said the remaining 1,000 or so aid programs will be handled "more effectively" by the State Department and in coordination with Congress. Critics counter that the cuts are short-sighted and could jeopardize both global stability and America's international reputation.Human rights activists and world health professionals warn that the erosion of US leadership in humanitarian assistance could spur other nations to do the same, further exacerbating the crisis. The authors of the Lancet study emphasize that if the sudden funding reductions are not reversed, the world will see a "staggering number of avoidable deaths" in coming yearsThey also support more intelligent, effective aid delivery systems that focus on transparency, local participation, and evidence-based action. The bottom line: investing in global health is not only a moral imperative but a strategic one that ensures world stability, economic growth, and public health security.With the world confronting increasing challenges—from climate change and pandemics to conflict and displacement—the demand for strong, united global assistance has never been greater. The future of millions of people is at stake, and the choices that are made today will determine the future of global health for generations to come.