ISTANBUL

The Trump administration’s plan to merge the US development aid and foreign assistance agency into the State Department and impose funding freezes has sparked a backlash from former officials, who warn of dire global consequences.

Speaking to CBS News on Monday, surgeon Atul Gawande, a former USAID global health director, called the changes "not an overhaul, but a destruction."

He also highlighted the harm already caused, including halted HIV treatments for 20 million people and disrupted disease monitoring in 49 countries.

Public health advocates say cutting funding to fight diseases worldwide allows them to spread and flourish and also harm the US, as germs do not know borders.

Failing to help developing countries makes conditions worse and drives more people to migrate to developed countries like the US, according to foreign policy analysts.

Maura Reap, a former USAID contractor, was sent to Ethiopia to support gender-based violence survivors but was abruptly recalled when Secretary of State Marco Rubio paused new foreign aid programs.

"It was like a slow train wreck," she said after being fired mid-flight, CBS said.

US President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk – tasked by Trump to cut government waste – have criticized USAID, with Musk calling it "a ball of worms beyond repair." But Gawande defended its mission: "These are disaster relief and health workers protecting America worldwide."

USAID, which managed $40 billion in aid in 2023, is a key target in Trump’s push to shrink government. Musk, leading the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency, is reviewing spending cuts. However, Democrats have pointed out that major changes require the approval of Congress, which under the US separation of powers has the “power of the purse.”

"Firing experts and cutting programs doesn’t make us safer or stronger," Gawande said.

As the administration moves forward, the debate over USAID’s future continues.