Freezing foreign aid funds will lead to a humanitarian catastrophe in a borderless society
Feb 05, 2025
The international humanitarian medical aid organization 'Doctors Without Borders' expressed concern that the US government's recent freeze on foreign aid funds and dismantling of the core infrastructure of the humanitarian aid system would lead to a "humanitarian catastrophe".
Avril Benoit, U.S. Secretary-General for Doctors Without Borders, said in a statement that "As a medical humanitarian organization operating in crisis areas such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and partner organizations, we are concerned that the current state of sudden interruption of humanitarian and medical aid and the rapid dismantling of essential elements of the U.S.-backed humanitarian aid system will lead to a serious humanitarian catastrophe. This will affect millions of the world's most vulnerable people.'
He then called on the U.S. government to urgently resume humanitarian and medical aid funding. Either withdraw the order regarding the funding freeze or expand the current exceptions to humanitarian aid to include all essential health and humanitarian programs", he pointed out.
In addition, he added that "the complete cessation of foreign aid and the restrictions and uncertainty of exceptional permissible measures of humanitarian aid have led to the cessation of life-saving medical aid and serious damage to patients. Over the past week, Doctors Without Borders medical teams have seen disruptions as hospitals and essential services that had been receiving USAID support were closed without notice""Doctors without borders are not directly affected because they are not funded by the U.S. government, but the enormous role of the U.S. government in international aid is irreplaceable to other actors in the short term. Thus, the US government should stop restrictions on exceptional allowances through immediate action, and ensure that humanitarian and medical aid can continue. We must ensure that vital life-saving aid is not interrupted while the U.S. government reviews its foreign aid policy," he stressed.
Avril Benoit, U.S. Secretary-General for Doctors Without Borders, said in a statement that "As a medical humanitarian organization operating in crisis areas such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and partner organizations, we are concerned that the current state of sudden interruption of humanitarian and medical aid and the rapid dismantling of essential elements of the U.S.-backed humanitarian aid system will lead to a serious humanitarian catastrophe. This will affect millions of the world's most vulnerable people.'
He then called on the U.S. government to urgently resume humanitarian and medical aid funding. Either withdraw the order regarding the funding freeze or expand the current exceptions to humanitarian aid to include all essential health and humanitarian programs", he pointed out.
In addition, he added that "the complete cessation of foreign aid and the restrictions and uncertainty of exceptional permissible measures of humanitarian aid have led to the cessation of life-saving medical aid and serious damage to patients. Over the past week, Doctors Without Borders medical teams have seen disruptions as hospitals and essential services that had been receiving USAID support were closed without notice""Doctors without borders are not directly affected because they are not funded by the U.S. government, but the enormous role of the U.S. government in international aid is irreplaceable to other actors in the short term. Thus, the US government should stop restrictions on exceptional allowances through immediate action, and ensure that humanitarian and medical aid can continue. We must ensure that vital life-saving aid is not interrupted while the U.S. government reviews its foreign aid policy," he stressed.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
