Aid groups across the world have closed operations, laid off staff and halted life-saving work, including with malnourished children, because of US President Donald Trump's freeze on foreign assistance, according to a survey of 246 humanitarian organisations.
The US is by far the biggest contributor to global humanitarian aid, giving about $14 billion last year. Yet Trump, as part of his "America first" policies, last month halted most government-funded aid for 90 days and began dismantling the United States Agency for International Development which he said was run by "radical lunatics".
The International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), a network of groups in about 160 countries, found that the US cuts had taken a devastating toll on crisis-hit populations. Two thirds of the groups surveyed reported a negative impact ranging from downsizing to ending aid programmes.
"Humanitarian architecture is being decimated," the ICVA said on Tuesday in a report on the survey. "Therapeutic feeding centers have ceased operations, posing life threatening risks to malnourished children and pregnant women."
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The ICVA report did not name respondents to the January 27-February 7 survey, but its members include some of the biggest relief groups such as Save the Children, World Vision and Care.
Washington is issuing some waivers for life-saving aid, but groups say funding is held up. That is because USAID employees cannot access the payment system, five current and former agency officials familiar with the matter told Reuters.
"Waivers are a farce," said one of the sources. One Africa-based group said in the survey that more than 1,500 people with HIV could no longer access life-saving treatment, while another said 3,250 orphans and others suffering HIV/AIDS could not receive school support or malnutrition treatment.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ