Urge Congress to defend lifesaving foreign aid
The U.S. Administration has cut off life-saving aid to millions of people who need it most — leaving families without access to food, water, shelter, and other essentials.
The consequences are dire: Lives will be lost if the aid doesn’t flow. Terminating aid programs means children will no longer receive access to emergency nutrition services; families will lose access to clean drinking water; and people in crisis will be cut off from cash assistance that is vital for their survival.
Mercy Corps is committed to continuing to support the urgent needs of families facing unimaginable challenges like war, disaster, poverty, and hunger. But we need your help to convince Members of Congress to meet the moment by defending foreign aid.
Send a letter today urging Congress to keep vital aid flowing.
Here is the letter we will send to Congress on your behalf:
Dear Member of Congress,
I am deeply concerned about the recent actions taken to terminate nearly 83% of foreign assistance funding — funding which was approved by Congress. This action by the Administration puts millions of lives in peril.
Foreign assistance saves lives and builds a safe and more secure future. As many as 339 million people around the world need urgent humanitarian assistance today, more than twice as many as five years ago. Terminating aid programs means children will no longer receive access to emergency nutrition services; families will lose access to clean drinking water; and people in crisis will be cut off from cash assistance that is vital for their survival.
These programs not only saved lives, they prevented conflict and instability, and helped communities recover from crisis, reducing long-term reliance on aid.
For less than 1% of the overall federal budget, foreign aid is vital a tool America must use to respond to crises and advances our values - all of which contribute to making us safer, stronger, and more prosperous.
I urge you to take the following actions:
- Contact Secretary of State Rubio and National Security Advisor Waltz to reverse the terminations and resume the disbursement of Congressionally-appropriated foreign assistance funds to restart American capacity to implement foreign assistance.
- Contact Appropriators and Authorizers, regardless of party, to ask for a hearing on the impact of foreign assistance termination and encourage them to ensure the Administration appropriately utilizes the foreign assistance Congress has provided.
Now is a critical moment for Congress to provide robust oversight and accountability, reverse program terminations and urge the Administration to immediately resume the disbursement of Congressionally appropriated foreign assistance funds.
Now is the time to save lives.
Thank you for your consideration.