(English) The US, aid, and Money for Madagascar

Désolé, cet article est seulement disponible en English.

We are aware that our supporters and partners have understandable concerns about our position and situation in the light of developments in the US and now the Netherlands.

At present, we are not directly affected by the measures taken by the US government. We do not receive funding from USAID.

Nor do we receive support from the Dutch government, so we will not be directly negatively impacted by its decision to replicate the US administration’s measures.

But everyone in Madagascar is likely to be negatively affected by a reduction in funding to the republic. We must all stand – and work – together to reduce the impact upon Malagasy people, and the environment they are charged with protecting.  

We promise to continue to stand and act with, and for the benefit of, the Malagasy people and environment. We will stand with our partners and other organisations who do the same, in the island and beyond, and we call on everyone interested to join us, with donations or support of any kind.

In the last six weeks, the new administration of US President Donald Trump has made significant changes to the country’s international aid policy – changes which leave many organisations, and millions of people, around the world unsure what will happen next.

A series of Executive Orders issued on Monday 20^th January have combined to pause all US funding for ‘foreign aid’, effectively end the USAID as an operational body, and threaten any and all programmes and initiatives funded by the US which involve gender and other forms of equality (including education and training), and environmental protection, amongst other things.*

The impact of this decision has already been enormous.

Some organisations, including many working in multiple locations around the world, receive 25 per cent or more of their funding from USAID. They have been forced to cease work on programmes, and in locations, which assist many thousands of men, women and children.

Some have also begun to remove potential ‘trigger terms’ such as ‘gender’, ‘equality’ and ‘environment’ from their programme titles, descriptions and targets.

Yesterday evening (20 February 2025), the Dutch government followed the US president’s lead, announcing it will ‘stop funding all projects related to women’s rights, gender equality, vocational and higher education, and sports and culture. Significant cuts will also be made to support for climate initiatives, civil society and multilateral cooperation.’

The Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Aid, Reinette Klever, said: ‘All development programs we fund must directly contribute to our own interests.’

Money for Madagascar is not a ‘political organisation’. We are not part of, and we do not as an organisation support, any political party or ‘named movement’.

But we work in a sector, and on issues, that are by their very nature, political: matters of human life, societal and economic development, environmental protection.

And we are aware that our supporters and partners have understandable concerns about our position and situation in the light of these developments.

The first thing we wish to say, to anyone who is concerned, is that at present, we are not directly affected by the measures taken by the US government. We do not receive funding from USAID.

Nor do we receive support from the Dutch government, so we are fortunate not to be directly negatively impacted by its decision to replicate the US administration’s position and policy.

But as cuts in finance to other organisations working in Madagascar, as well as potentially to the Malagasy government (USAID has provided Madagascar with financial assistance for more than 40 years), continue to take effect, it is extremely likely that the challenges facing Malagasy people – poverty, low living standards, poor and sometimes dangerous infrastructure, hunger, shortage of clean water, healthcare and educational shortfalls and the associated temptation to damage the country’s rainforest – will grow.

We are, in short, all likely to be impacted.

There has been criticism of some organisations – including some far larger than we are – for being ‘over-reliant’ on US and other government funding.

We can acknowledge this, but governments, especially those in the ‘West’ hold the majority of the world’s money. If we as a ‘sector’ – humanitarian and development organisations – are to rely less on money from governments, the challenge is where such funding in such amounts is to be found.

From our perspective, saving and improving human lives, giving children and adults opportunities, and protecting the environment (and all its flora and fauna) on which we all rely is not only worthwhile, it is absolutely necessary, and indeed a fundamental part of what it means to be human.

It is what needs to be done, and what we should be doing.

This is a moment of great jeopardy for men, women and children in all parts of the world. We do not know, and are not here to speculate, on what will come next in regard to government attitudes and activity. Nor is our primary purpose to demand global economic or systemic change.

What we will say is that we stand alongside any and all people working to help people save and improve their lives, especially, but not only, in Madagascar, and protect and promote the environment we are part of, and which keeps us all alive.

This is, we believe, in all of our best interests.

We will continue our work with the people of Madagascar, so they can improve their lives, livelihoods, and protect their environment, as we have since our foundation. This will continue, of course, to include empowering women and girls to take control of their own lives.

And as has always been the case, we are human beings. We can achieve more together than we ever will alone. All organisations and individuals interested in human development, human welfare, human safety and/or the environment we all need, must stand together to deliver the best possible outcomes for the people and things we work with and for.

Humanity must develop an alternative to US financial assistance if that is truly at an end, and at least for as long as it is withheld. Whatever that turns out to be, it will only deliver positive outcomes if we remain committed, and united.

We call on everyone interested, to join us with donations or support of any kind.

With your help, we shall continue to play our part in making positive change for all, in a vital part of our shared planet.

 

 

*On Monday 20^th January, the Trump administration issued the Executive Order Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid which imposed a 90-day pause on any and all funding to humanitarian and development organisations and programmes they are carrying out to check that ‘no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States.’ 

Simultaneously, the US ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DoGE) fired thousands of staff working for USAID, the country’s major assessor, disburser, and evaluator, of US cash for development and aid.  

On the same day (20^th January 2025), the US President issued an executive order titled Defending Women From Gender Ideology…    which, amongst other things, restricts the use of the word ‘gender’ in US federal policies and documents, and another, Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, which amongst other things bans ‘equality hiring’ and ‘environmental justice’.