The world's richest man has withdrawn funds from programs that support the world's poorest women and children. 

USAid has been funding hundreds of highly regarded not-for-profit organisations that support women and children throughout the developing world, in crises and conflicts. Now those organisations, their employees and their activities are shuttered.  Many of us may be donating directly to those NGOs and be receiving emails desperately seeking our personal support.

USAID is an arm of the US government that responds to humanitarian emergencies and disasters and promotes international development in 177 countries and 29 regions around the world. The independent government agency, founded in 1961 by President John F Kennedy, has been the world's largest single aid donor ever since. USAID's main mission is to promote education, human rights, environmental sustainability, health initiatives and economic growth in countries affected by conflict and underdevelopment.

Donald Trump's move to freeze USAID has experts sounding the alarm, with warnings that millions of the world's most vulnerable people could die as medical and other aid is cut. USAid workers were ordered to immediately stop work, and cease communicating with the network of local organisations USAID had teamed up with. Their emails were frozen and websites shut down so they could not explain to the communities affected what was happening.

The freeze threatens life-saving programs in 50 countries, including 26 of the poorest nations in the world, including Afghanistan, Somalia,  Ethiopia and Uganda and projects battling against AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and maternal deaths. Trump's actionis currently being challenged in the courts. 

This tragedy is rolling out on multiple fronts, but women are worst affected. USAID has been a leader among nations in funding and providing reproductive health services globally. Its family planning programs have offered contraception, neonatal and childhood vaccinations, maternal health care, and HIV treatment to millions.  The abrupt cessation of these services is expected to lead to increased maternal mortality, unintended pregnancies, and the spread of sexually transmitted infections.