Many humanitarian workers are afraid of speaking out due to fear of penalties against their programmes, but several who spoke on the condition of anonymity to The i Paper warned the ban would cost lives in some of the world’s most vulnerable places, de-stabilise insecure countries and may trigger a surge in irregular migration.
The US is by far the largest donor of international aid, supplying 42 per cent of global humanitarian funding last year – more than than the next ten donors combined.
The US Government later issued a waiver saying that some lifesaving services could continue, but a lack of clarity means many aid workers feel unable to restart programmes out of fear they will later be deemed ineligible and incur costs which will seriously damage – or wipe out – the organisation’s capability.
US President Donald Trump speaks during an event to sign the Laken Riley Act, at the White House, in Washington (Photo: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)Thomas Byrne, a humanitarian consultant at MarketImpact who works with UN agencies, international NGOs and Governments, said the freeze was a “seismic event that threatens to destabilise the entire humanitarian system.”
In parts of Africa, aid workers narrowly avoided having to turn off intensive care machines supporting starving children by finding emergency funding elsewhere.
“They need to be fed with therapeutic products every three to four hours. We had to make a decision; what do we do with kids within those centres, receiving those centres, or the kid who turns up tomorrow? If we turned them away, we write their death warrants.”
MSI, which provides contraception and safe abortions in 37 countries, said that its nurses and midwives had been forced to stop services.
“In the first two weeks of Trump’s presidency, our worst fears for global health have started to play out,” Beth Schlachter, senior director of US External Relations, said.
In Thailand, aid clinics at camps providing shelter for about 100,000 refugees from Myanmar were ordered to shut.
Guards at Isis camps and mine clearing programmes
The Mines Advisory Group announced that the US State Department’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, which finances much of it’s work, had requested that the organisation halt US-funded operations.
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Read More“There are about 124,000 people living in camps, and many of them will be as of today totally without camp management,” said one senior humanitarian official in the area.
“Two of the camps house the families of Isis – these are closed camps with restrictions on movement within the camp and no permitted exit – which for a period within Saturday and Monday had no camp management services going in, including water and kerosene for fuel and heating.
Atul Gawande, former head of global health at USAID who left the agency this month, described the move as “catastrophic” and said it would affect organisations working with 6.5 million orphans and vulnerable children with HIV in 23 countries.
Meanwhile, one UK academic institution was told to halt its three-day workshop on sanitation and gender equality in India that had only just completed its first day.
The ban is likely to destabilise poorer countries and could trigger a possible rise in irregular migration, causing massive geopolitical repercussions in the US and around the world, one senior aid official warned.
“There is no better way of doing this than through foreign aid. Of course, it can be improved, but this money is less than 1 per cent of the US federal budget, and delivers not only a huge humanitarian benefit but influences stability, buys goodwill and supports authorities in a country which otherwise might be less disposed to be favourable to them.”
“It’s a country plagued by instability and a source of migration to the US. US has surely interest in stability in its own geographic neighbourhood and making it safe to stay in country so people don’t feel forced to flee,” the aid worker said.
Schools for girls in Afghanistan and threats in Syria
In Afghanistan, the Taliban would be “only too happy” to see the cutting of girls education programmes, one senior aid worker said.
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Read MoreThe senior official also said that axing US in Syria so soon after the fall of the Assad regime could allow Russia and Iran – two hostile states identified as a threat to the UK by the head of the army – to make gains.
“There is a power vacuum at the moment in which Russia and Iran ground to establish influence. That would be destabilising in Syria, the wider region and embolden Russia worldwide.”
Another aid worker said that organised crime gangs could be boosted by the pause.
Mass sacking of aid workers
The immediate suspension has led to aid programmes has seen mass firing of aid workers.
“The shared feeling among humanitarians is utter, utter horror, anger and disgust, that one man in the space of a few weeks can make such a globally tragic and life altering decision for millions of people,” the humanitarian said.
“They’ve been instructed to stop activities immediately, with contracts terminated, and they have to grapple with the ethical implications of needing to continue lifesaving activities but also maintaining their own livelihoods. There’s a lot of guilt.”
“Most of us in the sector knew there was going to be fluctuations with funding for the next four years now that Trump is in power, but no one anticipated that a stop work order would come into effect.”
“The Secretary of State has approved core life-saving humanitarian assistance and issued waivers for specific purposes. Implementers of existing life-saving humanitarian assistance programs should continue or resume work.”
The US State Department was also approached for comment.
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