Trump's aid cuts spark global crisis in poorest regions
Decisions by the US President, Donald Trump, to cease funding humanitarian aid have resulted, among other things, in the closure of food warehouses in Sudan and the halting of work on a malaria vaccine, reported the British newspaper, "The Guardian". According to the paper, this has exacerbated the crisis in some of the world's poorest regions.
The effects of Donald Trump's decisions include disruptions in the delivery of essential medicines to Sudan, which is currently experiencing the world's largest humanitarian crisis, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Here are the consequences of Donald Trump's decisions
"Partners on the ground [are saying] that in DRC and Sudan, medical supplies are stuck in warehouses," reported an anonymous spokesperson for a major international aid organisation in the region, as quoted by "The Guardian".
On Tuesday, Trump announced that he is considering dismantling USAID, the American agency that funds 43% of global humanitarian aid. He justified this by stating the need to remove "radically leftist" officials from the agency. Billionaire and close Trump associate Elon Musk and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was appointed acting USAID chief, had previously made similar statements.
On his first day in office, 20 January, the American leader signed an order suspending all aid programmes for 90 days. He explained that this was necessary to align spending with the "America First" policy, which prioritises US interests.
The Guardian warned on Tuesday that the new White House administration's announcements and decisions have already triggered a global crisis in some of the world's poorest regions.
The British newspaper reported that researchers involved in the development of malaria vaccines (MVDP) were among those informed of the need to halt work. Researchers warned that this sudden decision could slow progress in the fight against HIV and other diseases and set back advancements in global medicine by years. In 2023, 263 million cases of malaria and 597,000 deaths from it were recorded in 83 countries.
The AFP agency reported that among the initiatives suspended due to the funding halt were educational programmes in Nepal. Experts, quoted by the agency, pointed out that this may lead to an increase in the number of underage marriages.
No money for volunteers
Claris Madhuku from Zimbabwe, whose organisation supports youth in rural areas, lost funds for volunteer salaries following Trump's decision.
He told the AP agency, "We had to stop everything, no warning, no time to adjust. I appreciate that Trump might have some justification in trying to account for American taxpayers' money ... but it has caused disaster here" In 2024, Zimbabwe received about £295 million from the US, including for improving food security and other types of humanitarian aid.
A report from the Guttmacher Institute indicates that during the 90-day aid freeze, 11.7 million women and girls in developing countries will be deprived of access to contraception, which, according to estimates, means that 8,340 of them will die from pregnancy and childbirth complications.
USAID is an independent federal agency established in 1961. It is the largest state aid institution in the world. Its budget exceeds £41 billion, which is 0.7 percent of the federal budget. USAID operates in over 100 countries worldwide.
Following protests from organisations and humanitarian activists, Rubio exempted the most urgent humanitarian programmes from the order, including PEPFAR, the AIDS drug distribution programme.
