US aid cuts threaten global humanitarian efforts
Norsk Folkehjelp warns of the serious consequences of the US decision to stop funding humanitarian aid. The lives of thousands of people worldwide may be at risk.
The humanitarian organization Norsk Folkehjelp (NF) expressed concern about the US president's decision to halt funding for aid institutions around the world. Raymond Johansen, the Secretary General of NF, emphasized in an interview with Norwegian media that this decision could have serious consequences for half a million people in countries such as Iraq, Yemen, Laos, and Vietnam.
According to our estimates, this will have serious consequences for as many as half a million people in countries such as Iraq, Yemen, Laos, and Vietnam - Johansen said, as reported by the Polish Press Agency.
Until now, the US Department of State allocated 41 million dollars annually to NF. Trained NF staff were involved in clearing landmines from agricultural lands and communities in 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia, Iraq, Yemen, Laos, Vietnam, and Ukraine.
Johansen noted that halting NF's operations could endanger the health and lives of refugees returning home. The US decision forced the organization to lay off more than half of its staff, which amounts to 1,700 people.
The budget cuts also affected Norwegian Caritas, whose budget was reduced by 70 percent. As a result, more than half of the employees were laid off from medical projects in Nigeria and the Central African Republic.
Global consequences
An example of an organization affected by the US decision is Save the Children, which helps children worldwide, including in Poland since 2022. Its annual budget was reduced by 20 percent. Gunnvor Knag Fylkesnes from the Norwegian branch of Save the Children emphasized that the freeze on aid came at the worst possible time.
The freeze on aid came at the worst possible time. The fact that the United States, which is the largest funder of humanitarian aid worldwide, is freezing funds overnight has serious consequences for people in urgent need - Fylkesnes told the newspaper "VG".
The decision by Donald Trump's administration to halt humanitarian aid funding has sparked a wave of criticism and concerns about the future of many organizations working for those in need worldwide.
