1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

Halting U.S. foreign aid programs is having catastrophic and deadly consequences for the world's most vulnerable populations, especially children. An estimated 600,000 people could die over a decade in South Africa alone without PEPFAR HIV/AIDS treatment funding. Experts estimate nearly 200,000 new cases of paralytic polio could emerge each year if polio eradication efforts are defunded. Withdrawing assistance for malaria prevention could cost countless lives annually. The U.N. Population Fund estimates 17,000 maternal deaths occurred over four years, suggesting thousands more mothers will unnecessarily die in childbirth without this aid. In South Sudan, children like Peter Donde and Achol Deng already died after losing access to HIV medications when USAID funding stopped. Suspended aid jeopardizes America's security by hindering prevention of disease outbreaks, famine, extremism, and other risks. Reinstating this 0.24% of national income is vital to upholding values and protecting millions globally.