The United States government cut almost all foreign aid in 2025. This decision caused serious harm to human rights around the world. Human Rights Watch released a 42-page report on this matter.

The report is titled 'Every Autocrat's Dream.' It examines how the aid cuts affected human rights defenders globally. Many important programmes had to stop suddenly. Organisations protecting vulnerable people lost their funding.

LGBTQ+ people are among the most affected groups. In many countries, US aid supported LGBTQ+ organisations. These groups helped people facing violence and discrimination. Without funding, many organisations had to close.

Human rights investigations were halted because of the cuts. Victims of abuse lost access to support services. Organisations preventing human rights violations had to reduce their work. Some were forced to shut down entirely.

The cuts affected people in dangerous situations. This includes LGBTQ+ people living in countries with anti-gay laws. It also includes women, minorities, and political activists. Many of these people now have less protection.

Human Rights Watch stated the cuts benefit authoritarian governments. These governments often target LGBTQ+ people and other minorities. Without US support, holding them accountable is harder. Local human rights defenders feel more isolated and vulnerable.

The report provides examples from many different regions. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, aid programmes were disrupted. A photo from Bukavu shows abandoned USAID materials after violence at a food warehouse. This shows the chaos caused by sudden funding cuts.

Human rights experts are very concerned about long-term effects. Building strong human rights organisations takes years. Destroying them through funding cuts takes only days. Rebuilding these networks will be very difficult.

The situation is especially serious for LGBTQ+ communities in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. In these regions, US-funded programmes often provided the only available support. Now these communities must find new ways to survive and stay safe.

Human Rights Watch is calling on the US government to restore funding. They argue that protecting human rights serves America's interests. Abandoning these programmes damages America's reputation as a freedom defender.