Washington: Senior Democratic lawmakers are urging the State Department to reconsider its plans to cut crucial assistance to several African nations, emphasizing the potential for severe humanitarian and security repercussions.

According to Anadolu Agency, Gregory W. Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, along with Sara Jacobs, the ranking member of the Africa Subcommittee, spearheaded the effort by sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. This action comes in response to reports suggesting that aid to Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Somalia, and Zimbabwe might be halted.

The lawmakers highlighted the deteriorating conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa, citing issues such as hunger, malnutrition, and disease outbreaks. They warned that these challenges could lead to nearly 1 million preventable deaths by 2025. The letter emphasized that further aid cuts would exacerbate the crisis, with the United Nations estimating that 15 million people in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, and Niger are currently in need of lifesaving assistance.

The group of lawmakers underscored the importance of foreign aid as an essential tool for promoting stability and preventing conflict. They cautioned that withdrawing aid could create a vacuum that terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaeda and ISIS, might exploit to expand their influence in these vulnerable regions.

"Foreign assistance is not merely charity, it demonstrates American leadership," the lawmakers stated, stressing that ending humanitarian aid could result in dire outcomes with repercussions that extend well beyond the borders of the affected countries.