Please read this troubling New York Times story:
Lifesaving Aid Remains Halted Worldwide Despite Rubio’s Promise
A new directive puts further exemptions on hold. Aid workers also say the U.S. government has made it impossible to pay partners around the world.
For weeks, U.S.A.I.D. officials and the organizations, contractors and consultants who partner with them have struggled to continue the kind of work that [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio promised to preserve — “core lifesaving medicine, medical services, food, shelter and substance assistance.” [my gift link]
Then listen to today’s Sustain What discussion with two journalists from Global Press, an international newsroom supporting female reporters in the world’s most troubled regions. Global Press immediately began widespread reporting on the realtime impacts of the initial freeze and persistent chaos around money flowing to public health and other vital programs from Nepal to Uganda. (I apologize for some audio echo but you can scan the rough transcript as well.)
The editor-in-chief, Krista Karch, and Nakisanze Segawa, reporter-in-residence in Kampala, Uganda, offered disturbing descriptions of specific perils created by the Trump administration’s aggressive moves.
“People are dying”
As Karch says, “The big thing is that people are dying. People are dying. You cannot emphasize that any more.”
And of course please read Global Press’s reporting. Here are some of the latest dispatches:
Zimbabwe Braces for HIV Resurgence as US Aid Evaporates - Sex workers are the first to feel the effects, as mobile health clinics that offered condoms and preventative treatments disappear.
The Trump Administration Is Gutting USAID. Nepali Infants Will Starve, Officials Warn - The US government's abrupt stop-work order halts a 72-million-dollar project designed to end malnutrition. It’s worth noting that much of the Global Press output is published in local languages as well, as here in नेपाली.
Without USAID Support, Refugees in Uganda Lose Food, Job Training -
Uganda hosts 1.8 million refugees and asylum-seekers, the largest number of any African country. But without US funding, basic services like food distribution are likely to end.
Ebola Breaks Out in Uganda as US Halts Foreign Aid - At least one person has died in the country's latest outbreak. US aid has been key to containing previous outbreaks. How will Uganda fare without it?
Some critical comments and questions came in during the live show complaining that African nations should be more self sufficient and wean themselves from colonial support systems. Karch and Segawa said Global Press has stories in the works on that issue, which can also be seen percolating on social media in Uganada.
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Finally we discussed the unique training and support system Global Press provides to empower and protect female journalists amid challenges that are intense even in the world’s wealthiest countries.
Segawa said:
Knowing Global Press has my back…gives me the courage to go to places that would rather be deemed dangerous for a female journalist to go to and talk to people and see what's happening and witness events and report about that.
Here’s yesterday’s “curtain raiser” post with more links and details:
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