US lawmakers Causations Against Ending Aid to African Countries

(MENAFN) Senior Democratic lawmakers have urged the State Department to reconsider plans to halt lifesaving assistance to several African countries, warning that the move could have severe humanitarian and security consequences.

Gregory W. Meeks, top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sara Jacobs, ranking member of the Africa Subcommittee, led a group of lawmakers in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The letter addressed reports that aid could be cut to Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Somalia, and Zimbabwe.

The lawmakers highlighted worsening conditions across Sub-Saharan Africa, including hunger, malnutrition, and disease outbreaks, which they said could contribute to as many as 1 million preventable deaths in 2025. "Further aid cuts would undoubtedly result in even more preventable deaths. In Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, and Niger, the UN estimates that 15 million people are in need of lifesaving aid," the letter stated.

They emphasized that foreign assistance is critical for promoting stability and preventing conflict and warned that withdrawing aid could create opportunities for terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda and ISIS, to expand their influence in vulnerable regions.

"Foreign assistance is not merely charity, it demonstrates American leadership," the lawmakers wrote. “Ending humanitarian aid… could result in even worse outcomes, with consequences extending far beyond their borders."

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