The Government is assessing the impact on some of its international aid programmes in Africa amid growing uncertainty over the future of US humanitarian organisation, USAID, with which it has partnership agreements.
The US aid agency has come under strong attack from US president Donald Trump. Elon Musk, the president’s ally and head of his new department of government efficiency, said Mr Trump had agreed that the agency should be shut down.
There is concern among some in the Irish development aid sector at the implications of any closure of USAIA or curtailing of its budget by the Trump administration given that it provides large amounts of funding to projects across the developing world.
Last year, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, in his previous role as minister for foreign affairs, announced an expansion of the development co-operation partnership between Ireland the US. The move involved Irish Aid, the development co-operation programme of the Irish Government, and USAID working together to advance food security in Zambia. The move followed on from a similar agreement in relation to work in Malawi
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A Government spokesman told The Irish Times on Monday: “We are following closely the continuing reports and announcements in Washington in relation to USAID, and are assessing the potential impact for our collaboration in Malawi and Zambia.”
Under the Biden administration, USAID was run by Irishwoman Samantha Power, whom Mr Martin met regularly during visits to Washington. Last year, Mr Martin spoke of Ireland’s “long-standing partnership in global food and nutrition security” with USAID. He said the Zambia arrangement would focus “on building sustainable food systems, prioritising improved nutrition, gender equality and climate action”.
USAID has a budget of about $40 billion (nearly €39 billion). However, following the inauguration of Mr Trump the US government put in place a 90-day freeze on funding as it reviewed which humanitarian, development and other projects would continue to receive money from Washington.
Emergency food assistance was exempted from this pause as was aid to Israel and Egypt. Later, US secretary of state Marco Rubio also widened the exception to include “life-saving humanitarian assistance”.
It is unclear what would happen to projects on the ground if USAID is shut down as an independent agency or folded into the US State Department.
At the weekend, Mr Trump said USAID had been run by “radical lunatics and we are getting them out”. He said he would then make a decision about the future of the organisation.
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