Budget Cuts Threaten the Health and Safety of Children Around the World 

Congress was asked to cut overall funding for foreign assistance by 83 percent – from $58.7 billion (passed in April) to $9.6 billion in Fiscal Year 2026, including $4.8 billion in cuts to humanitarian assistance.  

At a time when one in 11 children around the globe need lifesaving humanitarian assistance to survive, including in countries like Sudan, DRC and Myanmar who are seeing surges in the numbers of children who need lifesaving support, funding cuts this deep spell disease, death and despair.    

If enacted into law these cuts would, 

• Reduce Global Health Programs by $6.23 billion. Since 2000, there has been a 55 percent drop in child deaths and 42 percent fewer moms are dying in childbirth across countries where the U.S. has prioritized health assistance. The full abandonment of these programs would be devastating for mothers and kids worldwide. 

• Eliminate development assistance. Investments in market development allow communities to break out of dependence on foreign aid and support themselves. Ending these investments is shortsighted, setting the stage for even greater humanitarian need.  

• Eliminate Food for Peace. Our nation’s oldest and most important food aid program.   

• Eliminate McGovern-Dole Food for Education. A program that provides school meals (ensuring at least one full meal per day) to kids, allowing them to stay in school and learn on a full stomach.  

• Eliminate all funding for education support for children across the globe. Impacting children’s safety, dreams for the future, and more stable and prosperous communities everywhere.   

Foreign aid is essential to building a more stable, prosperous world. By alleviating global suffering, the U.S. reinforces our own national security and helps families overcome the ravages of war, poverty and hunger to pursue a brighter future. 

• In countries where U.S. aid has strengthened health care, child deaths dropped 55% since 2000 – the lowest they’ve ever been.   

• Extreme poverty has fallen 19% in places where we’ve invested in food security.   

SCAN is advocating for Congress to make funding decisions that prioritize the safety, health and education of children in the U.S. and around the world. Send a message to Congress asking not to cut foreign assistance funding.