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Why is Trump pulling the plug on USAID?
Thousands of employees have been placed on leave and aid recipients in more than 130 countries have been left in limbo.
President Donald Trump’s administration is dismantling the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
For decades, it has been distributing life-saving medications, combating the spread of disease and providing relief in conflict zones.
Thousands of employees have been placed on leave and aid recipients in more than 130 countries have been left in limbo.
Spearheading federal budget cuts is billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency.
But who will fill the void? And what does it mean for global US influence?
Presenter: Elizabeth Puranam
Guests:
Hardin Lang – Vice president for programmes and policy at Refugees International
Natasha Lindstaedt – US foreign policy specialist and a professor of government at the University of Essex
Alan Boswell – International Crisis Group’s project director for the Horn of Africa
By Inside StoryPublished On 7 Feb 20257 Feb 2025