Kyle Matthews on the US Administration鈥檚 Withdrawal of UN Funding | Policy Magazine
September 18, 2025 |聽In a piece for聽Policy Magazine, Kyle Matthews, McConnell Visiting Professors of Practice for the 2025鈥�26 academic year, reflects on the . Nearly $5 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid has been withheld, including funds for UN peacekeeping and democracy promotion. More than $500 million in USAID awards have been cancelled, cutting off projects that once delivered food, vaccines, and education to millions.
Matthews argues that the consequences are not only humanitarian but profoundly geopolitical. The World Food Programme warns it may cut up to 30 percent of its staff. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has cautioned that more than 11 million displaced people will lose lifesaving assistance. As he writes, the UN remains the last line of defense for the world鈥檚 most vulnerable. The General Assembly is often dismissed as little more than an annual parade of speeches. "This year is a test of survival," Matthews argues. If the plug is pulled, he warns, it won鈥檛 just be the institution that dies. It will be the idea that nations can confront global crises together.
