Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams delivered medical assistance across 72 countries in 2025, operating against a backdrop of declining global humanitarian funding, according to operational reports from the organization. The constraints intensified following an abrupt freeze on United States foreign assistance in January 2025 at the start of President Trump’s second term, alongside aid cuts enacted by other governments.
Impact of Funding Cuts on Global Health Programs
The United States administration eliminated funding to key international health initiatives, including the Global Fund, Gavi, and PEPFAR, while shuttering the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). While MSF was not directly financially affected by these funding cuts, the withdrawal of funding forced many organizations to close or scale back operations, driving a surge in patient demand at MSF-supported sites.
In Somalia, disruptions to aid halted shipments of therapeutic milk for months. According to MSF data, the number of severely malnourished children admitted to its facilities rose by 73 percent during the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the dismantling of USAID canceled an order for 100,000 post-rape kits. MSF teams made unplanned purchases of antiretroviral medications and post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV to treat survivors of sexual violence within 72 hours of the assault.
Crisis Deepens in Sudan Amid Ongoing Conflict
In Sudan, April marked two years since the outbreak of conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). According to MSF observations, atrocities mounted in Darfur, culminating in violent episodes following ethnic cleansing by the RSF in the Zamzam displacement camp and El Fasher. Although teams regained access to Khartoum, health systems across large parts of the country collapsed.
North Jebel Marra faced a persistent measles outbreak that began in June 2024. Over a ten-month window, MSF treated more than 1,900 patients—primarily children under five years old—and registered 11 deaths. Medical records compiled by MSF show that 70 percent of the children admitted for measles treatment had never received a vaccination.
Key Operational Challenges in 2025
- Aid Interruptions: US foreign assistance freezes and the closure of USAID disrupted global supply chains for therapeutic foods and preventative medications.
- Rising Malnutrition: Somalia recorded a 73 percent spike in severely malnourished child admissions during the first nine months of 2025.
- Vaccination Gaps: In Sudan’s North Jebel Marra region, 70 percent of children admitted for measles were entirely unvaccinated.
- Supply Deficits: Teams in the DRC procured emergency antiretroviral treatments independently after scheduled post-rape kit deliveries were canceled.
Beyond supply shortages, humanitarian efforts inside Sudan remained severely constrained by high levels of violence and complex bureaucratic demands. The conflict displaced hundreds of thousands of people into neighboring Chad and South Sudan, where MSF maintains active medical response programs.
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