President Donald Trump’s recent executive order has sparked concerns about the potential impact on African countries that heavily rely on U.S. humanitarian aid.
- Trump’s executive order raises concerns about the impact on African countries
- Long-term implications could leave African nations struggling to maintain essential services
- African nations may turn to alternative sources like China for development assistance if U.S. aid is reduced
Trump’s withdrawal of vital support could deepen existing conflicts, create additional humanitarian challenges, and exacerbate instability across these regions
Countries like South Sudan, DR Congo and Somalia, which are already dealing with severe humanitarian crises, including famine and displacement, may lose vital support.
Other regions in Africa already plagued by wars and internal crises are likely to worsen as foreign aid diminishes, further escalating tensions..
Trump’s executive order takes effect
In 2024, the U.S. provided approximately $6.6 billion in humanitarian assistance to sub-Saharan Africa.
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However, Trump’s order suspends all U.S. foreign assistance programs for 90 days to review their alignment with his policy goals.
The order, among many Trump signed on his first day back in office, said the “foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values” and “serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries.”
The review period will assess whether U.S. foreign assistance programs align with Trump’s policy objectives, potentially leading to changes or cessation of aid to certain countries or programs.
The immediate impact of the order on assistance levels is uncertain, as Congress has already allocated funding for many programs, which must be spent as obligated, whether or not they’ve been disbursed.
African nations brace for impact
The long-term implications of this policy could leave African nations that are heavily reliant on U.S. aid, in a precarious situation.
As critical funding dries up, these countries may struggle to maintain essential services, address humanitarian needs, and support development projects.
If Congress approves the deep cuts, experts warn Africa’s drought and famine crises could worsen, triggering increased migration to Europe and heightened support for extremist groups.
African nations currently face numerous challenges that are being mitigated with U.S. aid and if this aid were to stop, several key challenges could worsen;
Humanitarian crises
Africa is the region with the largest percentage of the population facing hunger.
According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), nearly 282 million people in Africa (20% of the population) were undernourished in 2022, an increase of 57 million since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Around 868 million people faced moderate to severe food insecurity, with over one-third (342 million) experiencing severe food insecurity.
Last year, Ex-President Biden during his visit to Angola, announced over $1 billion in humanitarian aid to address food insecurity and urgent needs in 31 African countries.
This included $823 million through USAID and $186 million from the U.S. Department of State, with $202 million sourced from the Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation.
Humanitarian crises in Nigeria, Somalia, and South Sudan remain critical, driven by conflict, climate change, and economic instability.
In Nigeria, 25 million people face food insecurity, displacement, and limited healthcare due to conflict in the northeast and natural disasters. Security challenges hinder aid delivery
Somalia grapples with conflict and climate shocks like droughts and floods, leaving 8.3 million people in need. Acute food insecurity and malnutrition remain widespread.
In South Sudan, 9.3 million people require assistance, with violence, flooding, and the Sudan crisis driving displacement and resource shortages. Refugee influxes and poor infrastructure further strain the country.
The humanitarian crisis in the DRC, fueled by ongoing conflict, human rights violations, and gender-based violence, has displaced 7 million people internally and over 1 million refugees seeking asylum in neighboring countries.
Additionally, the DRC hosts over half a million refugees from neighboring countries.
U.S.-Africa security operations
The United States has supported African military forces through various programs and partnerships aimed at enhancing security, counterterrorism capabilities, and regional stability.
The U.S. has allocated Foreign Military Financing (FMF) to support counterterrorism efforts, peacekeeping, and border and maritime security in Africa.
This funding strengthens regional stability, especially in the Horn of Africa, and the Sahel region by helping to combat terrorism.
The African Coastal and Border Security program will enhance African nations’ ability to secure borders and protect coastal areas from criminal activities.
For instance, from FY 2019 to FY 2023, Nigeria received $5 million from the U.S. through the International Military Education & Training (IMET) program, one of the highest allocations in sub-Saharan Africa.
Since FY 2016, $500,000 has supported the Africa Military Education Program (AMEP), while $1.8 million in Foreign Military Financing (FY 2016–FY 2020) enhanced maritime security and counterterrorism.
Additionally, Nigeria gained over $8 million in counterterrorism training, equipment, and advisory support via the TSCTP (FY 2019–FY 2023).
Health
The United States has been a long-term supporter of the health sector in Africa through multiple programs run mainly by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of State.
With a total annual budget of around US$8 billion of aid per year for the African continent, 70% of this, or around US$5.6 billion, is dedicated to health sector programs. With this level of aid, it is no surprise that the USAID global health programs significantly impact poor and developing states in sub-Saharan Africa.
In the financial year 2022, U.S. funding for health assistance in sub-Saharan Africa reached US$5.84 billion with HIV/AIDS assistance being by far the largest category of aid for the region.
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U.S. aid to Africa, currently about $8bn annually, could face cuts under Trump, especially programmes like PEPFAR (the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), which forms a significant part of U.S. aid.
Vaccine programmes, HIV/AIDS programmes, and reproductive health programmes are among those at risk.
While analysts have suggested Africa could turn to China if U.S. aid stops, China’s involvement is mainly economically driven, focusing on infrastructure and trade.
If U.S. aid ceases, Africa may need to seek support from diverse partners, including regional powers, multilateral organizations, and NGOs, to address pressing health, security, and governance challenges.
African nations could also face a significant setback in addressing these critical challenges, leading to even greater instability and hardship.
