USAID: Ceasing Funding Will Have Severe Global Impact
London – In an extraordinary decision, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order on January 24, 2025, freezing foreign aid for USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development).
USAID provides funding and support for health services, disaster relief, and anti-poverty initiatives globally.
As a result, the largest aid donor now faces a 90-day suspension of its operations under President Trump’s directive.
Before this suspension, over 10,000 individuals were employed by USAID; now, many have either been placed on leave or lost their jobs.
Moreover, the agency’s counterterrorism personnel have been instructed not to report for duty, heightening the risk of aid ending up with unintended recipients.
The halt of USAID funds to South Africa and various African nations may lead to a humanitarian crisis, leaving millions reliant on HIV care without access to life-saving medications.
The suspension of USAID funding has severely impacted humanitarian initiatives worldwide, including programs supporting refugees in Myanmar, soup kitchens in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, and many others that have either paused or ceased their operations.
Humanitarian organizations such as the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) stated they were forced to suspend ongoing initiatives in around 20 countries.
Doctors of the World indicated that they have shut down more than half of their hospitals in Syria.
Billionaire Elon Musk, assigned with downsizing the federal government, has expressed a desire to dismantle USAID, labeling it as “beyond repair.”
According to Friends of USAID, Elon Musk has spent $40 million on Super Bowl ads to illustrate what he perceives as the wastefulness of USAID.
With $40 million, USAID could vaccinate 547,945 children globally, prevent diseases like polio from returning to the United States, and protect children from being crippled.
It could also save 200,000 lives from malaria in sub-Saharan Africa over the next three years.
Additionally, it could provide enough food-aid products sourced from Georgia and Rhode Island to treat 880,000 severely malnourished children, among other benefits.
Oxfam’s America President and CEO, Abby Maxman, states, “There isn’t a single area of development and humanitarian assistance where USAID has not played a role.”
The deputy spokesperson for OCHA, Jens Laerke, noted that “the U.S. government funded approximately 47 percent of the global humanitarian appeal worldwide last year.”
In light of USAID’s absence, the EU may need to address the substantial gap, as emphasized by the EU Commission spokesperson: “Everyone in the international community must shoulder their responsibilities.”
“The funding gap is widening, leaving millions in need. The EU cannot fill this gap alone.”
The 90-day suspension is a disaster for numerous vulnerable populations worldwide who will face increased dangers.
Nicholas Kristof, writing for the New York Times, advises concerned individuals to “contact their congressional representatives and the White House to advocate for reforming USAID, not dismantling it.”
Regrettably, the world’s poorest individuals are already experiencing the adverse effects of these decisions made by the wealthiest.
