When the U.S. president ordered the United States Agency for International Development to shut down, it had multiple impacts. Thousands were made unemployed, and a number of linked development projects were shut down as well. According to USAID Archives, data released online from June 2012 to September 2017 shows that 62 million girls worldwide are not in school. USAID was Investing $231.6 million in new programs that support primary and secondary education for girls. That has made significant progress in Guatemala, where every 7-12 year old is enrolled in primary school.
Establishing 5,000 community-based classes in Afghanistan to provide education to 174,000 girls. Supports Syrian refugees living in Jordan through a grant to UNICEF’s No Lost Generation Program, which is educating 90,000 girls. Investing $17.4 million in emergency education for girls in South Sudan forced to flee their homes. The program will reduce gender-based violence, promote female leadership in camp activities, and provide safe learning spaces and gender-segregated sanitation facilities.
Last week, thousands of contractors and civil servants working with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) lost access to their emails and security clearances. In less than 24 hours, thousands more agency employees will be placed on leave.
A number of USAID-supported programs have ambiguity regarding their functionality in Pakistan. For instance, USAID funded a number of diverse projects, including Road and bridge construction, Mangla Dam, Coal-related equipment, Oil and gas development, Reading instructional materials, Faculty of Education buildings, the Pakistan Reading Project, the Pakistan Regional Economic Integration Activity (PREIA), and the Small Grants and Ambassador’s Fund Program (SGAFP).
What is feared to get rapid impact is the “Small Grants and Ambassador’s Fund Program (SGAFP),” which has several linked projects based on women’s capacity building and empowerment.(SGAFP) is a large cross-cutting grants program supported by US Agency for International Development and implemented by the National Rural Support Program across Pakistan to support self-help initiatives of Pakistani organizations.
According to figures from the National Rural Support Program, The Small Grants fund has awarded 108 grants under the thematic areas of Economic Growth, Education, Energy, Health, Civic Participation, and Governance across Pakistan and has benefited around 800,000 people. The Ambassador’s Fund has awarded 238 grants under 15 thematic areas, including Women’s Issues, Cultural Preservation, Entrepreneurship, Economic Growth, and Wildlife Conservation, and has benefited over 1,200,000 Pakistanis. How the National Rural Support Program will sustain further financial assistance without the Small Grants and Ambassador’s Fund Program that was backed by USAID is still unknown.
The impact was felt almost immediately in Afghanistan, where humanitarian aid supports nearly all services for the country’s approximately 40 million people. Abdul Latif Nazari, the Taliban’s deputy minister of economy, stated that around 50 national and international aid organizations had their operations suspended, either partially or fully, throughout Afghanistan
Between 2021 and December 2023, 8,007 students were enrolled in two secret schools backed by a non-profit organization, Ideas Beyond Borders, with 4,615 joining in 2024. Over 53 teachers taught at 38 hidden locations, offering 20 different subjects. The Underground Schools initiative, led by local educators, provides students access to educational facilities, resources, and a safe environment to continue their high school education.
The suspension of aid to Afghanistan comes at a particularly harsh time. Around 15 million people — roughly a third of the population, primarily women and children — are malnourished or even starving. Last year, the World Food Program had enough funds to assist less than half of those in need, with about 40% of their funding coming from the U.S. An official from the program, speaking anonymously due to restrictions on media communication, stated that it is unclear how much of that funding can still be used, despite Rubio’s assertion that life-saving humanitarian assistance would be exempt from the suspension.
The American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) has also suspended classes, as indicated in an email sent to students. The email stated, “Once/if foreign aid is restored, then AUAF will begin teaching again.” AUAF, which has continued to operate under Taliban rule, has been a strong advocate for educating young women, defying the restrictions imposed by Afghanistan’s rulers.
The USAID shutdown has had a huge impact on all of those whom the US Government has ordered to stop working. They probably lose their jobs, and many contracts will wind up, but after the end users who are beneficiaries of these aid programs have direct impacts that are not constructive, that is another phase of suffering. For instance, women and girls were getting benefits from these aid projects for their education, self-initiatives, skill development, and capacity building. A decision based on a President’s executive orders will put many dreams under rubble, many careers with new challenges, and for many, their hopes will drown in a deep sea of authoritarian governance. “When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers”
