The Lancet’s devastating prediction that 14 million lives would be lost, including 4.5 million children under five, by 2030 as a result of the dismantling of USAID has been widely reported, but that number alone has failed to inspire a sense of urgency for many. Statistics feel distant and impersonal, which is one reason why Elon Musk can confidently claim USAID advocates cannot name a single person who has died as a result of USAID’s destruction.

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On July 17, NPR named three.

At the age of 10, Abdullahi Ibrahim from Sabon Gari, Nigeria died from an asthma attack because his parents were unable to cover the cost of the life-saving asthma medication he had previously received free of charge from USAID funding.

Also in Nigeria, eight-year-old Ibrahim Garba contracted typhoid fever, which his father suspected came from unclean drinking water. Like Abdullahi, Ibrahim passed away due to his parents suddenly being unable to afford medication that until then had been provided by USAID at no cost. The abrupt stop work order for USAID also gave local governments and organizations no time to try to fill the gap.

In Nairobi, Kenya, 16-year-old Purity Wamboi was diagnosed with tuberculosis, but the diagnosis came too late, and by the time the disease was discovered, it had already consumed most of her lungs. Prior to the shuttering of USAID, health workers paid by USAID funding visited homes across Kenya to treat the sick. When funds were cut, most of these visits ended—visits which Purity’s mother believes could have identified the tuberculosis sooner and saved Purity’s life.

While names and stories often have a bigger emotional impact than numbers alone, differences in culture, language, and geographic location often have a numbing effect on empathy. For an American, these three children’s stories may feel a million miles away in both physical and emotional distance. But Ibrahim and Abdullahi were the ages of a fourth and a fifth grader when they died—the age when children still swing from monkey bars and play games with their friends on the playground. At 16, Purity was the age of a junior in high school eagerly awaiting her prom.

Abdullahi, Ibrahim, and Purity are more than just three of the thousands of deaths that happen every day, because unlike many tragedies, these deaths were preventable. And we can play a direct role in preventing them. At the Alliance for American Leadership (A4AL), we believe it’s not too late to reinstate the programs that would have saved these children’s lives. That’s why we fight every day to bring back USAID and renew funding for essential humanitarian aid programs.

It is also clear that foreign assistance is good for the United States as well: an invaluable tool of soft power and influence that keeps our country safer and stronger.

Tell Your Member of Congress

Through grassroots advocacy and small-dollar support, A4AL is mobilizing communities and concerned citizens across the U.S. to speak up for humanitarian and foreign assistance when it matters. Congress is listening, and each additional voice makes the chorus harder to ignore. When you support the Alliance, you’re not just making a donation. You’re directly helping us track laws, meet with Members of Congress, print educational flyers, and spread the message about foreign assistance.

We are asking for your assistance in showing lawmakers that their constituents care about humanitarian assistance and the end to preventable suffering. Help us by donating today.

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