For Canadian charities group, USAID’s funding suspension means many vulnerable populations are being stripped of much-needed aid, a major reason why they are calling on Ottawa to step up at once. The USAID freeze, which was imposed as part of the broader US government’s cost-cutting measures, has disrupted many Canadian projects, charities, and assistance programs and, left unchecked, will have dire consequences, as warned by charities.
Global aid crisis
The isolationist stance adopted by USAID, which shrouds most overseas funds into secrecy, eliminating food aid and essential services, has thrown international aid efforts into chaos. A campaign started by Cooperation Canada, a group consisting of multiple Canadian humanitarian groups, highlights how millions of lives are being put at stake due to such irresponsible actions.
“This will lead to catastrophe for thousands, and most probably millions, of people across the globe,” said the head of Cooperation Canada, Kate Higgins.
Furthermore, she has emphasized that such a problem as this has raised the need to consider what Canada needs to do on a global scale.
With the funding on halt, there is a fear that the fate of the thousands of dollars Canada has allocated to these US-led initiatives will remain uncertain. However, Global Affairs Canada has stated that they are currently looking into the matter and have assured the public that actions are being taken to fix the issue so as not to allow the situation to become entirely dire.
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Canadian charities response and the road ahead
Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussein has greatly expressed his deep concern, stating that the USAID program’s lack of funding will set back efforts to mitigate poverty, disease, and inequality for several decades. Hussen claimed that the lost funding USAID provided was a form of “dangerous retreat,” and he, through his spokesman Olivia Batten, made clear Canada’s need to create new partnerships.
Similarly, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, plans to speak with the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, about the crisis at the next G7 ministerial. She mentioned that the removal of financial aid brings an entirely new set of issues and risks, as it may lead to a shift in geopolitical power dynamics, thereby aiding rivals like China and Russia to expand their influence.
In the meantime, Canadian NGOs are racing against time to rework their programs and find new sources of funding so that other fields like emergency medicine, education, or even child hunger alleviation do not suffer. Numerous institutions that used to function on USAID-funded structures now have to shut their doors.
As the crisis grows worse, humanitarian leaders highlight the importance of making decisive moves, urging Ottawa to immediately address what Washington has neglected. Canada taking up the challenge is uncertain, but one thing is for sure, and that is millions of people around the globe have everything to lose.