HIV treatments in Botswana, prostheses for war injuries in Ukraine, mines in Sudan-with just one signature, US President Donald Trump has exposed this and other programs. First of all, funds are frozen for 90 days, and project employees are instructed to hire the work. However, even more violent cuts could follow for development aid.
As promised in the election campaign, Donald Trump wants to break with old structures and reduce the state apparatus. He granted commands to aid organizations to stop almost all programs that receive money from the US auxiliary budget. This also applies to most military programs. The exception of this is the military aid for Israel and those for Egypt, both should continue to be paid. One wants to ensure that all foreign aid programs are “efficient and agree with US foreign policy within the framework of the America First agenda,” said the US State Department.
Humanitarian arm of the US government high at the top of the shooting list: USAID. For a long time, the authority was considered an important soft power instrument of the United States to promote relationships worldwide. Founded over 60 years ago under the government of President John F. Kennedy, USAID could now stand before the end. This is particularly promoting the tech billionaire and Trump-confidant Elon Musk. He heads the recently founded department for the government efficiency of the US government.
US government consider to dissolve USAD entirely
With the decree signed by Trump, the work of the USA is currently largely restricted. In the past few days, dozens of employees of the authority have now been released or on leave, managers with immediate effect have been released. Musk’s new efficiency committee had tried to get confidential information at the USAI Center in Washington, several US media reported, including the CNN transmitter. Two high -ranking security officers had refused – and were released shortly afterwards. The US government therefore consider to dissolve the authority completely. Both the USAID website and the account on platform X have not been available since the weekend.
So far, the authority has been led by “a bunch of radical crazy”, said Donald Trump at the weekend. “We throw them out and then we will make a decision.” X-boss Elon Musk is stuck against the authority online. In various posts, he disparaged USAID as a “criminal organization”. It was time to die, wrote Musk. In the past, he described the authority in a contribution as “a snake’s nest of left -wing radical Marxists who hate America”.
“As far as the USA is concerned, I discussed it in detail with the president, and he agreed that we should close it,” said Musk in a conversation on X. He spoke “a few times” with Trump, and He has confirmed that he wants to close the authority, which releases billions of humanitarian aid and developmental funds every year.
USAID was considered an important foreign policy pillar for decades
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has now been appointed head of the USA. An alarming step: Since its foundation in 1961, the authority had largely worked independently. Rubio immediately announced what USAID could be imminent under his leadership: one will check to what extent programs and projects could be suspended and missions, offices and offices are closed. USAID could “be abolished in accordance with applicable law”. He accused USAID officials to disguise details about their work and that they would have failed to respond to the Trump government’s questions.
The United States pays around $ 70 billion annually for international help. That is less than one percent of the state budget. The country is the largest donor of development aid worldwide. The funds usually support humanitarian, development and security programs that operate soup kitchens in Sudan, provide medication in Uganda or secure a prison with former IS fighters in the Kurdish-controlled northeast of Syria. Investments for local people are often decisive for life. Particularly bitter, experts agree, is the auxiliary freeze for the African countries.
Organizations fear deaths
Technical systems are also affected by the DE-FACTO closure by USAID. For example the “Famine Early Warning Systems Network” (FEWSNET). Created after the devastating famine in Ethiopia in 1984, the system serves to analyze weather data and regional political situations. And thus predict future emergency situations. The FEWSNET website is currently not available.
For international organization, for example in the Sahel belt in Africa, which is plagued by Dürre, the data and analyzes of Fewsnet are essential to distribute resources. In the past decades, long -term planning have been mitigated several critical situations, especially in East Africa, for example after the drought in 2016.
Missing after Dürren do not necessarily have to lead to famine. In the past, long -term planning, evaluation of alarm signals and cooperation with aid organization has often been able to regulate and save local markets.
Although Welthungerhilfe does not depend on the USA’s payments, the organization expects far -reaching negative consequences worldwide. “We are very concerned about the fact that state development cooperation and humanitarian aid are under pressure in many countries,” says Mathias Mogge, Secretary General of Welthungerhilfe. “The moratorium for the payment of funds through the USA will have far -reaching negative consequences for overcoming hunger and poverty worldwide.”
For aid organizations all over the world, the 90-day stop of the auxiliary money means a violent cut. It is unclear whether salaries can be paid further and whether funds will flow in the future. Organizations have already started to dismiss employees worldwide. If USAID is actually completely closed, the consequences are hardly foreseeable. Only one thing seems to be clear at the moment: Many programs could disappear forever – and that could cost numerous human lives.
