Restore USAID funding to combat child exploitation globally

The recent drastic cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are severely impacting critical programs that combat child exploitation and human trafficking worldwide. These funding cuts are disrupting key services that identify and support victims, provide shelter and counseling, train law enforcement to investigate these heinous crimes, and prosecute perpetrators. Hundreds of vulnerable children are already suffering due to the abrupt loss of food, housing, and care. Vital operations gathering evidence against traffickers have been paused, allowing criminals to evade justice. This move undermines years of progress made through coordinated international efforts involving USAID and the State Department. The cessation of funding halts programs proven effective at rescuing children from exploitation and modern slavery. It will become exponentially more difficult to identify victims in need of protection and ensure they receive trauma-informed support services. This decision actively enables exploitation of minors online and in trafficking rings around the globe. We urge an immediate restoration of USAID funding and a reversal of these extreme cuts that endanger children worldwide. Protecting the vulnerable from abuse and exploitation should be a core priority. Allowing these crucial programs to continue is a moral and ethical imperative that impacts millions of lives. The impact of this drastic defunding will reverberate for years, causing untold suffering unless promptly addressed.