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Trump and Musk’s USAID Freeze Sparks Global Aid Crisis

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Usaid Humanitarian Aid Distribution In Africa

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration, backed by billionaire Elon Musk, has implemented a sweeping freeze on U.S. foreign aid programs, leaving global humanitarian efforts in disarray. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which manages over $40 billion annually, has been forced to halt thousands of programs, lay off contractors, and abandon critical supplies in warehouses worldwide.

The freeze, announced on Jan. 20, 2025, has disrupted life-saving initiatives, including nutritional assistance for malnourished children, HIV/AIDS treatment programs, and malaria research. In Sub-Saharan Africa, where the U.S. provided $6.5 billion in aid last year, clinics have closed, and food supplies have been left to rot. Similar scenes have unfolded in Latin America, where migrant shelters and mental health programs for Venezuelan refugees have been shuttered.

“This is an extinction-level event for the global aid sector,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International and a former USAID official. “It threatens the collapse of not just USAID but the entire ecosystem of relief and development organizations.”

USAID, established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, has long been a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy, countering global poverty and disease while promoting stability. Critics, including Musk, argue that the agency is wasteful and promotes a liberal agenda. Musk has called USAID a “criminal organization” and vowed to dismantle it.

The freeze has sparked bipartisan concern on Capitol Hill. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), while supportive of reviewing aid programs, warned that the abrupt halt could destabilize regions reliant on U.S. assistance. “Foreign aid is critical to our national security,” Rubio said in a 2017 social media post.

In Colombia, former President Juan Manuel Santos, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, lamented the impact on programs aiding farmers and families displaced by violence. “To cut aid suddenly is going to have a terrible humanitarian effect,” he said.

Meanwhile, aid organizations struggle to navigate the chaos. A waiver for “life-saving assistance” has caused confusion, with workers questioning what qualifies. “Is Plumpy’Nut life-saving? Is a vaccine?” one aid worker asked.

The freeze has also exposed the fragility of development programs reliant on external funding. Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta urged African nations to prioritize self-reliance. “Nobody is going to continue holding out a hand to give you,” he said.

As the 90-day review continues, the humanitarian sector braces for further fallout. With millions at risk of losing access to food, medicine, and education, the stakes have never been higher.