Nicholas Enrich, the acting assistant administrator for global health at USAID, was placed on administrative leave after sending critical memos to his colleagues. The memos highlighted significant staff reductions within the Bureau for Global Health and the failure to release payments for approved aid programs. One memo, which was never sent, contained shocking projections about the potential impact of halting USAID programs.
The unsent memo warned that nearly 17 million pregnant women could lose access to life-saving services if USAID’s global health initiatives were discontinued. Additionally, over 11 million newborns might miss critical postnatal care, and an estimated 1 million children annually would no longer receive treatment for severe acute malnutrition.
Enrich also expressed concerns about the spread of preventable diseases, such as Ebola and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, warning that these could reach U.S. borders if left unchecked. The source who leaked the memo described Enrich as aware of the career-threatening risks he was taking by drafting it.
President Donald Trump previously criticized USAID, calling its leadership ‘radical lunatics,’ and announced plans to dismantle the agency during his tenure. The leak of Enrich’s memos has sparked widespread concern about the potential humanitarian consequences of these actions.
The memos detail a series of alarming trends within USAID, including staff reductions from 783 positions to just 69 essential personnel, with 15 receiving layoff notices. Furthermore, 72 approved aid activities across 31 countries remain unfunded, leaving the full impact on human lives unclear.
Enrich’s unsent memo paints a grim picture of a geopolitical and economic catastrophe, largely avoidable but now at risk due to U.S. policy decisions. The leak has raised questions about the broader implications of these changes for global health and security.