The full weight of the United States’ cuts to aid to Afghanistan has finally become clear. Almost all the aid that was promised – at least USD 1.8 billion – will now not be given, according to the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). The United Nations has announced a reprioritisation of the humanitarian effort: out of the more than 22 million Afghans deemed in need, it said efforts would now focus, not on 16.8 million people but 12.5 million. The UN relief chief, Tom Fletcher, visiting Afghanistan at the end of April, said the cuts will “directly result in deaths.” The stated reason for the US stopping aid is corruption in the sector by the Islamic Emirate, something it has denied. However, the Emirate’s decision to focus government spending on the security services has left many basic social services, especially health, vulnerable to aid cuts. Kate Clark and the AAN team have been looking at the impact on the lives of Afghans and the national economy of the termination of aid from what had been Afghanistan’s largest donor.