US Aid Freeze Sparks Warnings from Ethiopian Rights Leaders

By Dominic Wabwireh with AP

US President Donald Trump's freeze on global aid is creating significant concern across Africa, prompting Ethiopian human rights groups to raise their voices.

Masud Gebeyehu Reta, Executive Director of the Ethiopian Human Rights Organisations and a member of the Ethiopian Civil Society Organisations, warns that numerous civil society and humanitarian groups may have to halt their critical operations due to this situation.

Recently, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health revealed plans to lay off over 5,000 contracted health workers as a direct consequence of the Trump administration's 90-day aid freeze.

In a strong response, Reta emphasized that Trump should not disrupt the American people's goodwill towards those in need around the world.

"This funding belongs to the people and is intended for the people. It reflects how Americans choose to extend support to communities globally as part of our shared humanity. It is not the prerogative of the executive to dictate this; it is the people's desire to assist those suffering from conflict, climate change, disease, and more," he stated.

The United States remains the largest provider of foreign aid globally, although some European nations allocate a larger percentage of their budgets to such efforts.

USAID operates in approximately 120 countries, focusing on combating epidemics, educating children, ensuring access to clean water, and fostering various development initiatives.

The agency has played a vital role in delivering humanitarian aid in Colombia, supporting conservation in the Brazilian Amazon, and aiding coca eradication efforts in Peru.

Recently, USAID has also provided emergency assistance to over 2.8 million Venezuelans fleeing economic turmoil, transferring around $45 million to the U.N. World Food Program in 2024, primarily to aid Venezuelans.

In Brazil, USAID's primary initiative is the Partnership for the Conservation of Amazon Biodiversity, aimed at protecting the environment and enhancing the livelihoods of Indigenous peoples and other communities in the rainforest.

In Peru, a portion of USAID's $135 million funding for 2024 is allocated to support alternatives to cocaine production, including coffee and cacao cultivation.

Since the early 1980s, the humanitarian agency has been working to reduce drug production.

Last year, the U.S. provided over $6.5 billion in humanitarian aid to the sub-Saharan region.

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, is recognized as one of the most effective foreign aid programs, credited with saving more than 25 million lives, primarily in Africa.