Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that recent US aid cuts are placing mounting strain on global health efforts, jeopardizing critical humanitarian and medical responses in crisis-hit regions such as Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen.

Since assuming office, US President Donald Trump has moved to freeze foreign aid, dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and initiate the United States' withdrawal from the WHO. Washington, once the WHO’s largest donor, has not paid its 2024 membership dues, and its 2025 commitment remains uncertain.

The WHO is now grappling with a major funding deficit, prompting the agency to consider slashing its budget by 20%. This could lead to substantial cuts in its reach, operations, and workforce.

“Many of these programmes have now stopped or are not going to be able to continue,” said Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, in an interview with AFP. She emphasized the impact on healthcare system support, emergency medical training, and trauma response.

In conflict zones like Gaza, where only a few hospitals remain functional amid continued fighting, US aid freezes have directly impacted the procurement of medicines, emergency response capabilities, and rehabilitation of health infrastructure.

In Sudan, where a civil war has displaced millions, WHO has been battling outbreaks of malaria, dengue, and cholera. “Our disease surveillance and detection work is crucial—not just for Sudan, but for global safety,” Balkhy stressed.

The situation is similar in Yemen, where years of conflict have already decimated healthcare systems.

Balkhy also warned that a full US withdrawal from the WHO could break vital ties with American research institutions and public health agencies, affecting global coordination during pandemics and other health emergencies.

“These bacteria and viruses know no borders. They are ambivalent to what's happening in the human political landscape,” she said.

The agency fears that weakened surveillance, reduced vaccine outreach, and hampered emergency responses could result in longer-term consequences for global health security—particularly in preventing or containing future pandemics.