In 25 years of humanitarian work, the director of Terres des Hommes had never seen anything like the letters from the US government instructing the closure of their health and aid programmes. “I’d say it’s the worst I’ve had in my career. How can our colleagues onsite choose between malnourished children, children who have been raped, or beaten children?” Just months ago, USAID formed 42% of global humanitarian aid, financing over 6,200 programs worldwide. Now, there are barely a thousand remaining. “I’ve lost my job, I can’t say any more”, says one ex-employee. However, the deepest devastation lies with the countless communities left behind. In Daadab’s vast refugee camp, where a psychological support center serving children who’ve lived through war approaches closure, the remaining employees face terrible decisions on what to cut in the wake of this monumental shift. All that’s left is hope. “I hope the American funds will come back so that we can continue to support these children.”