South Africa currently has a little over 23 000 kms of rail track in place, accounting for as much...
Trump puts US Global Donor Funding on Hold for 90 days
On Monday 20th January 2025, on the day of his inauguration, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order enforcing a 90-day pause in global foreign development assistance, pending a planned assessment of efficiencies and of its consistency with new foreign policy.
"All department and agency heads with responsibility for United States foreign development assistance programs shall immediately pause new obligations and the disbursements of development assistance funds," read the executive order signed by Trump just hours after he took office for a second term.
This blanket policy decision made in Washington is likely to exacerbate the existing suffering of the most vulnerable in most parts of the SADC region, and especially so in deep rural areas.
The real impact is most likely to happen in the health sector, as the 90-day pause could disrupt a number of efforts of the World Health Organization (WHO), especially in the ongoing supply and provision of medical drugs and equipment to hospitals. There are multiple HIV and Aids programs running throughout the region that are supported by US funding. The new hold policy will hit those already on medication the hardest, as discontinuing their drugs could have serious consequences. In addition, a disruption in water chemicals could spark the possible outbreak of water-borne diseases such a cholera, typhoid and dysentery. And disruptions in the malaria control programs run by the WHO in both rural and high-density areas could collectively swell the region’s mortality numbers.
Educational systems are also likely to be negatively affected by the 90-day pause as children under school-feeding programs could be materially impacted. It could also influence those households headed by people employed by US-funded NGOs. The World Food Program (WFP) and USAID programs could also experience change as they are responsible for ongoing Food Aid and capacity-building projects often funded by US relief aid.
Considering all the above, Southern African countries could be amongst the hardest hit by the 90-day pause. Even worse, if after 90 days the decision to prolong the hold is ratified, then it is going to add to an already over-full basket of challenges.