Trump's aid freeze sparks humanitarian crisis in Africa
President Trump's decision to freeze humanitarian aid for Africa has caused a crisis on the continent. Millions of people are suffering from a lack of food and medicine, and the situation in education and healthcare is deteriorating.
What do you need to know?
- USA aid freeze: Two months ago, President Trump suspended the USA's participation in international humanitarian aid for Africa, which has caused a crisis on the continent.
- education crisis: There is a shortage of teachers in schools, which threatens the future of the youth, as emphasized by Morris James, a teacher from South Sudan.
- health threat: The closure of USAID has led to 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, stresses that the lack of teachers in schools endangers the future of the youth. As a result of 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 the 330 teachers, increasing the number of students per teacher 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 beneficiary of USAID, over 5,000 medical workers have been laid off. Zimbabwe is lacking approximately $24 million CAD monthly to maintain medical facilities. John Kaseya, Director of the African Union's public health agency, warns that an additional two to four million deaths annually can be expected due to diseases that were previously treated.
Catherine Kyobutungi from the African Population and Health Research Centre warns of the collapse of public education. The South African Institute of Strategic Studies forecasts that the number of Africans living in extreme poverty will increase by 5.7 million in the next year. Non-governmental organizations are urgently seeking new funding sources to mitigate the effects of this decision.
