The effect of U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to cut foreign aid to almost all countries around the world is putting millions of children at risk of acute hunger, with the child rights organisation Save the Children noting they have been forced to close dozens of health and nutrition sites.

Save the Children said in a statement on Tuesday that it has been forced to shut down 121 health and nutrition sites in Somalia alone, cutting off essential supplies to more than 250,000 people due to Mr Trump’s administration’s decision to stop foreign aid.

The effects of aid cuts are also being felt in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, where health workers in the northern part of the country are working around the clock to care for malnourished children but are at risk of running out of resources in the next 30 days.

“Our clinic is the only option for this community. There is no local doctor or nurse here,” said Dr Hanif, whose team has been working at a Save the Children-backed hospital with more than 2,500 patients monthly in northern Afghanistan.

He added, “The community is deeply disheartened [by the cuts]. At present, we have 135 malnourished children under treatment [at this clinic]. Should the clinic close, their families will be unable to afford the cost of taking them to either a public or private clinic, as they cannot pay for transportation to the nearest clinic.

“The doctors and nurses have pledged to work without pay for four or five months because our country is in dire need, and the community cannot survive without these essential services.”

The child rights organisation said more than 131 million children are currently living in areas prone to acute food crises, and the recent aid cuts is hindering them from continuing many lifesaving programmes.

Eighteen health facilities supported by Save the Children and its partners have been closed down in Afghanistan, while the remaining functioning 14 only have funding to run for just one more month. The 32 clinics supported more than 134,000 children in January alone.

More than 40 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and even Europe have been impacted by the sudden cuts of foreign aid by the Trump administration, with Save the Children now calling on governments and donors worldwide to invest in children’s welfare.