ROME, 10 February, 2025 – Caritas strongly condemns the reckless decision by the U.S. Administration to abruptly close USAID funded programmes and offices worldwide.
Caritas recognizes the right of any new administration to review its foreign aid strategy. However, the ruthless and chaotic way this callous decision is being implemented threatens the lives and dignity of millions. Stopping USAID will jeopardise essential services for hundreds of millions of people, undermine decades of progress in humanitarian and development assistance, destabilise regions that rely on this critical support, and condemn millions to dehumanizing poverty or even death.
For over six decades, USAID has been a vital partner of Caritas and the Church globally, supporting vulnerable communities worldwide, providing lifesaving assistance for people affected by crises, alleviating hunger, delivering basic healthcare and education, improving access to clean water, sanitation, shelter and protection, and addressing the root causes of poverty. Its contributions have been paramount, fostering stability and development across many regions for decades.
Alistair Dutton, Secretary General, Caritas Internationalis, noted:
“Stopping USAID abruptly will kill millions of people and condemn hundreds of millions more to lives of dehumanising poverty. This is an inhumane affront to people’s God-given human dignity, that will cause immense suffering. Killing USAID also presents massive challenges for all of us in the global humanitarian community, who will have to completely reassess whom we can continue to serve and how.”
“Our immediate focus is working collaboratively with our partners and allies globally to reduce the impact of the freeze and ensure continued support for as many vulnerable people as we can. The lives and dignity of millions hang in the balance. We call on governments, international agencies, and stakeholders to speak out and strongly urge the U.S. Administration to reverse these dangerous measures.”
The ramifications of this decision extend far beyond U.S. borders. With USAID accounting for approximately 40% of the total global aid budget, the disruption will have catastrophic consequences worldwide. Direct recipients of USAID funds, secondary beneficiaries, UN agencies, and multilateral organisations, as well as national governments reliant on bilateral aid, all face severe operational setbacks. The resulting harm to people, particularly the poorest all around the world will be catastrophic, threatening the lives and dignity of millions.
In response, Caritas is taking proactive steps, including:
- Advocacy efforts: Engaging with national governments, U.S. embassies, and diplomatic representatives to emphasize the far-reaching consequences of the aid freeze and orchestrate urgent efforts to reverse it.
- Information gathering: Partnering with networks to assess and document the impact on humanitarian programmes.
- Coordination: Strengthening communication to support collaborative and strategic responses among partners.
Conscious that the announcement by Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, to suspend USAID was for a review of all their programmes, we anticipate the results of this evaluation, and urge the U.S. Administration to reaffirm its commitment to compassion and peace by supporting the most vulnerable people worldwide.
We remain hopeful that a constructive dialogue will lead to positive outcomes that uphold the shared goal of supporting those most in need.
For media interviews, please contact:
Susan Amu
Director of Engagement
Email: Amu@caritas.va
About Caritas Internationalis
Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 Catholic national relief, development, and social service organisations operating in more than 200 countries and territories across the world. We are an expression of the Church’s mission to preach the good news and contribute to the building of God’s Kingdom of dignity, justice and love for all. Our mandate comes from the life and words of Jesus Christ and from the vast wealth of Catholic teaching and in particular the Church’s social teaching. Caritas promotes integral human development and integral ecology by serving, accompanying, defending and listening to people living in poverty, whilst together caring for our common home. We respond to emergencies and natural human made and complex humanitarian crises, providing essential and social services, and health care. We speak against the causes of poverty and injustice, and work together, as brothers and sisters, advocating and campaigning for a just world build on love, peace, and solidary. Our work is informed by reflecting on the ‘signs of the times’ through a ‘see, judge and act’ methodology. We strive to bring about long-term, positive impact to the lives of those we serve. This requires us to be both effective in our work and good stewards of the resources entrusted to us.