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cover of episode The True Cost of USAID Cuts

The True Cost of USAID Cuts

2025/2/21
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What A Day

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J
Jane Koston
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Mackenzie Knowles-Corson
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Jane Koston: 特朗普政府上任一个月以来签署了数十项行政命令,其中一项是冻结几乎所有来自美国的对外援助资金,为期90天。这严重影响了美国国际开发署(USAID)及其合作伙伴,以及全球数百万依赖其援助的人民。许多美国企业和非营利组织也受到了影响,超过80%与USAID有业务往来的公司都位于美国。此外,这项政策还对USAID的工作人员士气造成打击。 Mackenzie Knowles-Corson的辞职抗议以及他描述的肯尼亚弱势群体面临的困境,进一步突显了这项政策的严重后果。由于资金冻结,许多人无法获得必要的医疗救助,面临生命危险。即使一些项目获得了豁免,也仍然面临着资金和人员短缺的问题,许多工作人员在巨大的道德困境和精神压力下崩溃。 这种行为不仅对弱势群体造成伤害,也损害了美国的国际形象和信誉。 Mackenzie Knowles-Corson: 我作为USAID东非地区沟通部副主任,因抗议特朗普政府对该机构的破坏而辞职。我亲眼目睹了资金冻结对肯尼亚人民造成的毁灭性影响。许多儿童因无法获得艾滋病药物而面临死亡威胁。即使获得豁免的项目也面临着支付工资和维持正常运转的困难。过去几周,工作人员每天都在哭泣和崩溃,因为他们面临着巨大的道德困境:是违抗命令,还是眼睁睁看着人们死去? 我与一个负责治疗约10万肺结核患者的项目负责人交谈过,该项目已被完全停止,导致数百人死亡。一位艾滋病毒感染的妇女恳求我们给她18个月的抗逆转录病毒药物,以便能够看到儿子毕业。这些只是资金冻结造成无数悲剧的冰山一角。

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Thursday marked one month since President Donald Trump officially took office. Since then, he’s signed dozens of executive orders. And the fallout from all his unilateral actions is starting to become clear. The administration’s funding cuts for foreign assistance have already hit millions of people receiving aid around the world through USAID, as well as many American businesses and nonprofits who do business with the agency. Mackenzie Knowles-Coursin, who resigned in protest as deputy head of communications in East Africa for USAID this month, describes the toll Trump’s cuts are taking on vulnerable people in Kenya.

And in headlines: The Senate confirmed Kash Patel as the new head of the FBI, former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell announced he won’t run for re-election, and the administration slashes deportation protections for around 500,000 Haitian migrants.

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