Trump's aid cuts spark global humanitarian crisis
Decisions by US President Donald Trump to stop funding humanitarian aid have led, among other things, to the closure of food warehouses in Sudan and the halting of work on a malaria vaccine, the British newspaper "Guardian" reported. According to the newspaper, this has deepened 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 one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, and to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Consequences of Donald Trump's decisions
"Partners on the ground [are saying] that in DRC and Sudan, medical supplies are stuck in warehouses," said an anonymous spokesperson for a major international aid organization in the region, as quoted by the "Guardian".
On Tuesday, Trump announced that he is considering dismantling USAID, the American agency responsible for funding 43% of global humanitarian aid. He justified this by the need to remove "radically leftist" officials from the agency. Billionaire and close Trump associate Elon Musk, as well as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was appointed acting USAID chief, had previously made similar statements.
On his first day in office, January 20, the American leader signed an order suspending all aid programs for 90 days, explaining this as necessary to align spending with the "America First" policy, which prioritizes U.S. interests.
The announcements and decisions of the new White House administration have already triggered a global crisis in some of the world's poorest regions, the "Guardian" warned on Tuesday.
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 the effects of this sudden decision could slow progress in the fight against HIV and other diseases and also set back advancements in global medicine by years. In 2023, there were 263 million cases of malaria and 597,000 deaths from it recorded in 83 countries.
The AFP agency reported that among the initiatives suspended due to the funding halt were educational programs 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 organization 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 360 million dollars from the US 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 complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.
USAID is an independent federal agency established in 1961, and it is the largest state aid institution in the world. Its budget exceeds 50 billion dollars, which is 0.7 percent of the federal budget. It operates in over 100 countries around the world.
Following protests from organizations and humanitarian activists, Rubio exempted the most urgent humanitarian programs from the order, including the AIDS drug distribution program, PEPFAR.
