The US foreign policy changes that would put millions at risk

The Guardian

A displaced Syrian woman at a refugee camp in al-Hawl, in Syria’s Hassakeh province. Trump’s draft executive order would cut funding from the UN and other international bodies. Photograph: Delil Souleiman/AFP/Getty

Cuts in contributions to the UN and other institutions that would hit women and girls hardest, plus a look at the likely impact on peace and security
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Donald Trump’s executive orders have continued to dominate the headlines. We reported that women, girls and people fleeing war and persecution will bear the brunt of far-reaching US policy changes likely to be ushered in under the president, potentially jeopardising the lives of millions of vulnerable people around the world.

The draft executive order by the Trump administration that would slash a minimum of 40% of funding to multilateral institutions, such as the UN and the World Bank, threatens dire consequences for the international system and the people it aims to help. Julian Egan argues in an op-ed that it’s a short-sighted policy; he says these are the very international bodies that aim to tackle the root causes of conflict and violence, and that such cuts would be costly to peace and security.