Europe must step up to mitigate US aid suspension

Renew Europe strongly condemns the suspension of the development and humanitarian aid imposed by the Trump administration. This brutal decision by the US raises serious concerns, particularly as USAID is a major contributor in the field of development, humanitarian aid and health assistance. It also supports independent media outlets in Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus, and these are being forced to suspend their operations. This move could unravels two decades of development progress and creates a dangerous power vacuum in the Global South.

The crisis extends beyond geopolitics, threatening the survival of numerous NGOs and their vital projects worldwide. According to former USAID administrators, for every dollar spent in a country like Ukraine, this was the equivalent of $3 from other countries. The suspension of USAID activities may then puts the continuation of vaccination programmes and health assistance to prevent and combat serious diseases such as birdflu or the Ebola outbreak in Uganda at serious risk.

This decision is a gift to Russia and China. We have seen Russian officials celebrating the demise of US aid. And the People Republic of China has launched a well-prepared campaign to replace US aid with Chinese funding.

While the European Union has long stood as the world's largest development aid donor and should stand even stronger in solidarity with its partners now, it cannot shoulder this burden alone. The situation demands immediate action from the European Commission to develop strategies to protect vulnerable communities from the immediate effects of the aid cuts, prevent hostile actors from exploiting the vacuum left by the US withdrawal and support NGOs facing cash flow challenges.

Barry Andrews (Fianna Fáil, Ireland), Chair of the European Parliament’s Development Committee, said :

"The decision by the Trump administration to freeze foreign development assistance is catastrophic. It is going to affect women and children in Afghanistan, wounded soldiers in Ukraine, war-affected and starving people in Darfur...this list goes on. The EU must act swiftly with its partners to mitigate the impact of the US decision on affected communities on the ground."