Trump's aid freeze triggers Africa's humanitarian crisis
President Trump’s decision to halt humanitarian aid to Africa has created a crisis on the continent. Millions of people are suffering due to a lack of food and medicine, and the condition of education and healthcare is worsening.
What do you need to know?
- USA Aid Freeze: Two months ago, President Trump suspended the U.S.'s participation in international humanitarian aid for Africa, which has led to a crisis on the continent.
- Education Crisis: There is a shortage of teachers in schools, threatening the future of young people, as pointed out by Morris James, a teacher from South Sudan.
- Health Threat: The closure of USAID has resulted in the shutdown of many children's hospitals in Somalia and layoffs in the Ethiopian health sector.
Dire consequences of the USA aid freeze
The Spanish agency EFE reports that the decision by President Trump to freeze humanitarian aid for Africa has had dire consequences. Morris James, a teacher from South Sudan, emphasizes that the lack of teachers in schools endangers the future of young people. Following the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), food and medicine rations have been drastically reduced.
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In Kenya, the Finnish aid organization FCA may be forced to lay off half of its 330 teachers, raising the student-to-teacher ratio from 100 to 230. Binyam Gebru, director of the Somali branch of Save the Children, reports that three out of four children's hospitals in Somalia have been closed.
Ongoing humanitarian crisis in Africa
In Ethiopia, which was the largest recipient of USAID, over 5,000 medical workers have been laid off. Zimbabwe faces a monthly shortfall of $17 million needed to maintain its medical facilities. John Kaseya, Director of the African Union's public health agency, warns that an additional two to four million deaths annually could occur due to previously treatable diseases.
Catherine Kyobutungi from the African Population and Health Research Centre warns of the collapse of public education. The South African Institute of Strategic Studies predicts that the number of Africans living in extreme poverty will increase by 5.7 million next year. Non-governmental organizations are urgently seeking new funding sources to mitigate the effects of this decision.
