In note published this Monday 10, Cáritas Internationalis expresses its deep concern about the enormous impact that the abrupt closure of the programs and offices of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will have around the world.

In a very direct way, the region of Latin America and the Caribbean is affected by the decision, with the suspension of numerous projects in a large part of the National Caritas. So far, there is no exact estimate of how many people in the region will be affected, but it is certain to be in the hundreds of thousands.

This decision not only jeopardizes essential services for individuals and families, but also undermines decades of progress in humanitarian and human development assistance.

"Stopping USAID abruptly will kill millions of people and condemn hundreds of millions more to lives of dehumanizing poverty," said Alistair Dutton, Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis. "This is an inhumane affront to people's God-given human dignity, which will cause immense suffering. This move also presents enormous challenges for all of us in the global humanitarian community, who will have to completely re-evaluate who we can continue to serve and how."

For more than six decades, USAID supports the work of Caritas and the Church globally, caring for vulnerable communities, providing life-saving assistance in crises.

Dutton mentions that the Caritas' immediate focus of action, in collaboration with partners and allies worldwide, is to reduce the impact of the freeze and ensure continued support for as many people as possible. "The lives and dignity of millions of people are at stake. We call on governments, international agencies and interested parties to speak out and strongly urge the US Administration to reverse these dangerous measures," underlines the Secretary General.

The note highlights that USAID represents approximately 40% of the total global aid budget, the interruption will have catastrophic consequences throughout the world. Direct recipients of USAID funds, secondary beneficiaries, UN agencies and multilateral organizations, as well as national governments that depend on bilateral aid, face serious operational setbacks.

Cáritas is confident that constructive dialogue will lead to positive results that uphold the shared goal of supporting those most in need and reaffirms its commitment to compassion and peace around the world.

(Cover photo: Leonardo Milano/La Backpack Migrant)