By Grace Q. Bryant
More than 25,000 school-going children in Liberia are at risk of hunger following significant U.S. government aid cuts that have abruptly ended Mercy Corps’ school feeding program.
The sudden funding loss has left thousands of vulnerable students without daily meals, raising concerns about rising dropout rates and malnutrition across the country.
The termination of U.S. foreign assistance has severely impacted Mercy Corps’ Incentivize Learning Activity (ILA)—a school feeding initiative launched in November 2024 with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Designed to provide nutritious meals to 50,000 children across six Liberian counties—Bong, Lofa, Nimba, Montserrado, Margibi, and Grand Bassa—the program aimed to boost school attendance while supporting local farmers.
However, with the abrupt withdrawal of funds, nearly half of the program’s beneficiaries are now left without meals.
Schools in affected regions are already experiencing the consequences, as food supplies spoil due to disrupted distribution and students drop out due to hunger. Teachers and parents report that many children are either leaving school early or stopping attendance altogether, unable to focus in class without a reliable food source.
Mercy Corps has strongly condemned the aid cuts, warning of severe humanitarian consequences in Liberia and other vulnerable regions.
Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, the organization’s Chief Executive Officer, urged the U.S. government to reconsider its decision, emphasizing its far-reaching impact on communities dependent on aid.
“The U.S. government’s decision to cut thousands of aid programs will have devastating effects on people in urgent need of food, clean water, and shelter,” McKenna said.
She further warned that in Liberia, Sudan, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the cuts would exacerbate crises, force children out of school, and heighten instability.
Additionally, McKenna highlighted that the reductions would disrupt programs designed to prevent youth radicalization in West Africa and humanitarian initiatives supporting Venezuelan refugees in Colombia.
Liberia’s crisis is part of broader fallout from the U.S. government’s decision to halt nearly 10,000 foreign assistance programs worldwide.
The consequences have been severe: in Nigeria, over 174,000 people will lose access to clean water, food assistance, and specialized nutrition support; in Kenya, more than 600,000 people will no longer receive lifesaving food aid; and in Colombia, over 11,500 Venezuelan refugees will be cut off from critical cash assistance.
Already struggling with economic hardships, Liberia now faces further uncertainty as school feeding programs disappear. Experts warn that increased hunger and malnutrition among children could lead to a surge in dropout rates, jeopardizing the country’s progress in education and human development. For now, Mercy Corps is urgently seeking alternative funding to sustain the feeding program. Without immediate intervention, thousands of Liberian children could suffer the consequences of a decision made thousands of miles away.