President Donald Trump didn’t reneged on his promises of freezing some agencies or withdrawing from organisations that have no real impact on American people, as part of policy of cutting cost to run effective administration based on transparency. USAID was not spared on president Trump’s onslaught, Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, headed by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, is the orchestrator of this move, as he is hell-bent in exposing white elephant projects used in embezzlement of funds and corruption. Since US Government announced the freeze in aid against USAID there have been massive outcry over future of health care of some countries and that exposes countries’ dependency in 21st century of something of such magnitude as health care, which is a big concern.
Funding Terrorism in the Disguise of USAID
There is poignant accusations made against United States Agency for International Development, USAID, alleging their involvement in funding terrorist organisations such Boko Haram, ISIS and Al-Qaeda by United States lawmaker, Scott Perry, a Republican lawmaker from Pennsylvania . It is a big question mark on their international involvement with countries. The lawmaker made this assertion on the session titled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,” which focus on effective use of taxpayer money. He alleged “who gets some of that money? Does that name ring a bell to anybody in the room? Because your money, your money, $697 million annually, plus the shipments of cash funds in Madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS Khorasan, terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding.”
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He continued “USAID spent $840 million in the last year, the last 20 years, on Pakistan’s education-related programme. “It includes $136 million to build 120 schools, of which there is zero evidence that any of them were built. Why would there be any evidence? The Inspector General can’t get in to see them. “But you know what? We doubled down and spent $20 million from USAID to create educational television programs for children unable to attend physical school. “Somebody else got the money. You are paying for terrorism. This has got to end.”
USAID Freeze Exposes Third World Dependency
HIV patients have been massively hit since halt of USAID aid, this exposes the moribund health system of many countries and their lack of commitment to improve health care system, especially in third world countries where medical tourism of elites class in foreign countries exposes poor health care system at home. President Trump’s onslaught on all international aid is not slowing down anytime soon as they seek for clarity on how these funds are spent and impacted lives of the targeted people. The President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) a program introduced under the presidency of George W. Bush which has also enjoyed bipartisan support has made list of freeze out aids. A serious threat to millions of people who all these years have become benefactors of the program are at risk of halting their treatment and opens door for surge in HIV patients.
PEPFAR which funded Red Somos, organisation that provide HIV care to Venezuela migrants have been halted as they cannot continue to their program. Many countries in Africa receive aid from USAID which includes HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and leprosy, they have been affected by freeze out aid of Trump’s administration, it opens door for escalation and surge in HIV patients. It is a wake up call for these countries to step up, governance is about people, health care system should top priority in these countries, if they continue to clamour like this, it will snowball into neo-colonialism.
