(Washington) – Abrupt cuts made by the United States government in nearly all of its foreign aid in 2025 have harmed the global human rights movement and countless people in danger, Human Rights Watch revealed in a 42-page report released today.
This report, titled “Every Autocrat’s Dream: A Global Snapshot of the Human Rights Harms of US Foreign Aid Cuts,” examines the immediate consequences of these budget cuts on the work of human rights defenders around the world. Investigations into abuses have been halted, support for victims has been significantly reduced, and organizations contributing to the prevention of violations have been forced to limit or even cease their activities.
“The withdrawal of American government support for the global human rights movement has been a true gift for the autocrats,” said Sarah Yager, director of the Washington office of Human Rights Watch. “The cuts in foreign aid have made it more difficult to document human rights violations, protect threatened communities, and hold perpetrators of these violations accountable.”
The United States government has been the main donor for human rights defense initiatives around the world for decades until the Trump administration dismantled American foreign aid between January and March 2025. Even though some programs faced legitimate criticism, the sudden and massive reductions in foreign aid had immediate harmful effects on a global scale.
Human Rights Watch examined the impact of these budget cuts on media freedom, access to information, digital security; fighting discrimination and targeted violence; as well as justice, accountability, and the rule of law. This overview includes case studies conducted in 16 countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, North Korea, Georgia, Guatemala, Haiti, Myanmar, Nicaragua, the Democratic Republic of Congo, El Salvador, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Venezuela.
These case studies focus on the weeks and months immediately following the aid cuts, aiming to illustrate the human rights repercussions of decisions made by the Trump administration in various contexts.
While no government is required to provide foreign aid, the way the United States ended this assistance caused visible harm, demanding accountability, according to Human Rights Watch. The American Congress should demand an independent review to assess the human rights consequences of aid reductions and planned program eliminations for 2025, and restore funding for human rights defense in future budget laws. Legislators, other donor countries, and philanthropic actors should urgently act to rebuild support for the global human rights defense movement in a sustainable and rights-respecting manner.
“By ending funding so rapidly and radically, the American government has taken away crucial lifelines for many people facing abuses,” concluded Sarah Yager. “The resilience of human rights defense organizations in the face of rising authoritarianism and global crises has been extraordinary; however, their determination cannot replace sustained support.”
