The Trump administration’s decision to cut nearly all foreign aid has stalled dozens of water and sanitation projects in 16 countries, impacting millions of vulnerable people. A investigation identified 21 unfinished projects many unreported until now that were left incomplete due to cancelled funding. Construction sites in places like Nepal, Mali, Lebanon, and Kenya now sit abandoned, exposing communities to heightened health and environmental risks.
In Nepal, over 100 water systems were halted, stranding thousands of bags of cement and plumbing materials. In Mali, unfinished water towers meant for schools and health centers have been abandoned. Lebanon lost a solar energy project meant to power water utilities, resulting in job losses and continued reliance on expensive diesel fuel.
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In Kenya’s Taita Taveta County, incomplete irrigation canals have increased the risk of destructive flooding, threatening local farms and homes. Residents report being worse off than before the project began, and fixing the damage could cost more than twice the average annual income. Community leaders are now trying to raise funds locally to salvage what they can.
Advocates argue that cutting these programs does not save much the water projects accounted for just $450 million of the U.S.’s $61 billion foreign aid budget. Experts also warn that halting these efforts threatens not just lives, but global stability. Health, education, and security all suffer when clean water is unavailable. USAID’s withdrawal is seen by many as damaging not only to the projects but also to America’s global reputation.
The humanitarian fallout from halting U.S.-funded water projects is becoming dire. In eastern Congo, where USAID water kiosks have gone unused, violence has filled the gap. A mother of nine described how her son disappeared while fetching water a common tragedy in a region plagued by conflict. Without safe access to clean water, young girls face rape, boys face abduction, and communities face disease.
In Kenya, a $100 million USAID project meant to serve 150,000 people was abruptly stopped after only 15% was completed. Now, trenches and unplastered brick canals threaten the safety of local children and livestock, while $100,000 worth of building materials remain at risk of theft or damage. Community members are selling leftover cement to raise money and try to finish the canal themselves.
Internal U.S. government documents reveal growing concern. A U.S. embassy memo from Nairobi warns that the visible failure of these projects could damage America's image and even fuel recruitment by extremist groups like al-Shabaab, which has previously targeted Kenya.
Trump’s broader dismantling of USAID has disrupted numerous life-saving programs, including food and medical aid. The cuts could lead to 14 million additional deaths by 2030, according to a Lancet study. Though the State Department has reinstated a few projects like a $6 billion desalination plant in Jordan most remain suspended.
Despite bipartisan support for water aid in the past, and proven links between access to clean water and education, health, and peace, many projects in places like Ethiopia, Congo, and Tanzania remain in limbo. Humanitarian groups say this isn’t just a budget cut it’s a loss of progress, dignity, and stability for millions. And for people like 74-year-old Mary Kibachia in Kenya, whose home was flooded after the project stopped, the need for help is urgent.
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