Trump-influenced global aid cuts are "threats to survival" for disabled people, survery indicates
Geneva, Switzerland - Sharp cuts to international development and aid funding are having "direct and severe consequences" on the lives of people with disabilities, Handicap International (HI) said Monday.
The charity warned in a report that people with disabilities risked being particularly hard-hit amid "the sharpest aid contraction in modern history."
The dramatic cuts have left people with disabilities facing "growing exclusion, restricted access to essential services, and threats to their survival," it said.
The report highlighted numbers from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development showing that official development assistance fell 23% last year – the biggest drop ever recorded.
The US has led the charge on cuts since President Donald Trump returned to power last year, but other major donors like Britain, Germany, and France have also slashed aid and development budgets.
"Every budget cut has human consequences: it can deprive people of access to rehabilitation, education, healthcare, or the support services essential to their independence," HI Switzerland chief Daniel Suda-Lang said in a statement.
"The international community must act and reverse this trend before its effects become irreversible."
The report was based on a survey of 177 organizations that support people with disabilities across more than 35 countries. It found that 79% of them had experienced "severe or very severe" funding cuts since early 2025.
The consequences have been immediate, it warned.
A full 72% of the organizations said they had cancelled or suspended at least one programme or activity and 43% reported weak or very weak capacity to sustain their mission.
14% said they risked permanent closure if current trends continued.
HI cautioned that the aid cuts were "disproportionately affecting persons with disabilities who already face multiple forms of exclusion."
Disabled women, children, and elderly are most impacted by aid cuts
Among the organizations surveyed, around 85% said children, women, and the elderly with disabilities were particularly affected.
The report highlighted that women and girls with disabilities especially face reduced access to specialised support services and increased exposure to gender-based violence.
Children are experiencing disruptions to rehabilitation, nutrition, and education services, increasing the risk of school dropout and irreversible developmental setbacks.
Cover photo: Kent NISHIMURA / AFP