The global humanitarian sector is grappling with uncertainty after the US government abruptly suspended funding and programs supported by the US Agency of International Development (USAID) for 90 days.
The future of USAID is in doubt affecting global health security, humanitarian action and Act for Peace stands alongside other aid and development organisations in expressing our deep concern about the impacts the suspension of USAID funding will have on millions of people around the world.
Global impact
The 90-day suspension of development and humanitarian assistance will have an impact on the lives of millions globally including some of our local partners’ programs with devastating effects for the communities they serve.
According to Trish Manley, Act for Peace Partnerships and Programs Manager, the impact will be significant.
“This suspension impacts progress towards localisation, global health security and the entire NGO community. We are eagerly hoping that the review process is undertaken in a timely manner and that vital humanitarian projects can resume,” says Trish.
The sector has long been focused on locally led development, but this progress is threatened if local partners and programs lose funding. In terms of global health, the US provides 40% of the world’s humanitarian assistance, so the impact of an immediate funding freeze is predicted to have long-lasting global health outcomes, with infectious disease likely to spread in regions where emergency food programs and other life-saving services are forced to close.
Sector-wide impact
The impacts of the USAID suspension are already being felt across the humanitarian sector.
“We are concerned that some NGOs will have to make tough decisions to manage this suspension in order to survive the suspension period” Trish explains.
For displaced people in the Asia-Pacific region this could mean they no longer receive vital support programs that are helping them rebuild their lives and the progress of development programs could be reversed.
While the long-term impact of this decision is not yet clear, early reports are alarming. The Guardian reports chaotic scenes with medicine supplies blocked and children left without food, citing analysis that several thousand women and girls are likely to die from complication during pregnancy and childbirth as a direct result of the aid freeze.
Unite for a Safer World for All
To understand more about the impact, we encourage you to read this statement shared by the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID).
Funding from international development agencies such as USAID is critical to the work of our local partners who implement life-saving programs in their communities.
Ahead of Australian elections, now is a critical time for us to unite and advocate for a Safer World for All and call on all sides of government to commit to building a safer, peaceful, and more secure world for all.
Take action and speak up for a Safer World for All here: https://saferworld.org.au/
