Abdelrahman
Health Programs Worldwide Stalled Amid Funding Freeze
Despite a federal judge’s ruling that temporarily prevents the Trump administration from dismantling the primary foreign aid agency, crucial funding for global health initiatives remains halted.
Interviews conducted with health workers across Africa and Asia reveal troubling situations. For instance, in Kenya, parents are unable to have their children tested for tuberculosis. In Nigeria and Bangladesh, individuals displaced by civil strife lack access to clean drinking water at refugee camps. Additionally, a nutritional program designed to address severe malnutrition in South Sudan cannot operate.
Maleket Hailu, who leads an organization providing support to individuals living with HIV in Ethiopia’s Tigray region — and previously benefited from assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) — highlighted the distressing reality, stating, “People are traveling over 300 kilometers to find essential medications at distant hospitals, since local options are nonexistent. USAID was instrumental in delivering these medications to rural areas, but now these individuals are left without vital information or resources.”
A spokesperson from the State Department indicated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s office has granted over 180 waivers to permit lifesaving programs to recommence, with more approvals ongoing. However, the department did not provide specific details on these projects.
Even though some initiatives have received waivers, funding remains inaccessible for many organizations, as reported by representatives from over 40 USAID-supported groups. The payment system USAID utilizes for fund distribution has been nonoperational for weeks, paralyzing program activities.
On Wednesday evening, Judge Amir H. Ali of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a motion aimed at holding the Trump administration in contempt for continuing to freeze aid, noting the government’s admission of the necessity for "prompt compliance with the order."
