US aid cut fuels surge in child malnutrition across Liberia
The termination of U.S. development assistance has coincided with a sharp rise in severe infant malnutrition in Liberia, leaving families and health services struggling.
Liberian families are facing a worsening crisis of child malnutrition after the United States ended its development program in July 2025, a move that removed a major source of health financing. Prior to the cut, U.S. aid accounted for a sizable share of the national budget and funded much of the therapeutic food supplies used to treat severe cases. With the aid gap unfilled, the share of children under five with acute malnutrition has risen, and only a small fraction of infants receive an acceptable minimum diet.
The Swedish government also withdrew its bilateral programs at the end of August 2026, redirecting funds elsewhere. In response, Concern Worldwide is training mothers to prepare locally enriched foods and conducting early nutrition screening in villages, while also offering limited cash assistance for transport to hospitals. Officials have pledged to raise the nutrition budget to 5 % by 2030, but current allocations remain far below that target.
Why it matters
Rising child malnutrition threatens health outcomes and development prospects for Liberia's most vulnerable children.
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