Why Trump’s USA ended a shock wave

The news around the world rushed out like a shock wave, with which the American government announced the massive cuts of $ 54 billion (more than 90 percent of US foreign assistance USA) at the end of January 2025 and arrested a 90-day review of all aid programs.

About 83 percent of the programs are deleted and the authority will be handled – the remaining programs are now being looked after by the Foreign Ministry. This decision has a massive impact on development cooperation and global humanitarian aid, because the United States has so far made almost half of all funds available-in the past two years it was $ 65 billion.

The financial benefits in US dollars in 2024 for some selected countries in Africa speak for the generous help of the United States: among other things. Democratic Republic of Congo 1.34 billion, Ethiopia 1.2 billion, Sudan 700 million and South Sudan 726 million. The arranged stop of the American aid has triggered larger shock waves in no region than in Africa – the poorest continent in the world – in recent years, about a third of the American aid has been distributed there.

In 20 countries, projects against hunger are set

As a result of the massive reduction, the American aid organization USAID was forced to stop more than 50 ongoing projects against hunger in 20 countries. 1.5 million people, including almost 800,000 severely malnourished children, can no longer be provided with vital help.

With this disastrous step, global hunger is tightened and health care worsens. If you look more closely, you can see that about a quarter of American development cooperation flows into the health sector, including If up to 600,000 children are supplied with vitamin B in Nepal and now this valuable program must be set. In Africa, the funds were used to combat great diseases, etc. Malaria, Cholera and Hi virus.

Due to the announced cuts, almost 10,000 employees will lose their workplace on site and their families will come into misery. The decision of the US government is worrying and there is a risk that this trend in the « rich nesting »-knowing that the gap between the need for humanitarian aid and the available aids between 2016 and 2024 more than tripled. One may only be the current foci of crisis in the world and a. Gaza, Syria, Myanmar, Sudan, Haiti and Sahel zone think.

The condition of misery and hunger as well as the lack of prospects must be ended-this in view of the fact that the number of billionaires is constantly increasing and global military spending reached the new record of $ 2,700 billion in 2024.

A look at the world map shows that 27 wars and armed conflicts are currently being held. The South Saharazone leads the sad list of eleven wars and armed conflicts to the world regions: North Africa, West and Central Asia and Asia. In Latin America and in Europe, only one war is currently raging.

The universal human rights are in danger

The United Nations will not tire that millions of children go to school without breakfast, the lack of vegetables, fruit and little high -quality food inevitably lead to a lower quality of life with the result that physical and intellectual development cannot develop. These children are denied to bring their valuable contribution to the home countries later.

It must be remembered that the right to food is a universal human right. The deletion of development aid must therefore be prevented by all means, because it is much more at stake than these billions of US dollars.

The women and children in developing countries do not cause the wars, crises and the climate crisis – but they suffer from the consequences. For ethical reasons must apply: « It is required by humanity, justice and justice. It cannot be emphasized sufficiently. Solidarity is an expression of a image of man that sees us all right and equal to us in the sense of the United Nations Charter. »

EU cannot close gigantic gap alone

The EU development policy aims to reduce poverty and, if possible, do everything to remove it. Furthermore, the misery of billions of people should be put to an end. These obligations are the central element of the EU in terms of the United Nations Agenda 2030.

Through her development cooperation, it offers the needy countries their humanitarian aid, which focuses on the respect of universal human rights – a truly honorable task. At 97 billion euros in 2023, the European Union had the largest proportion of global development aid before the United States at $ 68 billion. The European Union cannot close the upcoming gap due to the elimination of American help.

Unfortunately, many African governments in the past 60 years (since their dependency) have made themselves very dependent on western development aid – by hiring American development aid, the misery of millions of people is even greater, especially in South Saharazone.

The others will measure us on our actions

With many other actors I see the time that development cooperation in Africa has to be completely reoriented. The disastrous dependency must be a thing of the past.

As the closest neighbor of the European Union, Africa is a partner with which we have to work closely together in the areas of respect for human rights, trade, economic development, investments in infrastructures, creating jobs for the growing young population, agriculture, digital change and energy, peace and security. This partnership is based on the three pillars: prosperity, sustainable development and justice.

The common strategy of the coming years must be based on Kofi Annan, the Ghanaian, former Secretary General of the United Nations: « Everything that needs evil to triumph is the silence of the majority. » The others will measure us on our brave acts.