Elon Musk's war on USAID spells disaster for Haiti
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You can't make this stuff up:
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Which brings me back to
While those war-torn countries, as well as nations in Africa and the Middle East, have received
For nonprofit organizations like
'We have two very large [USAID] grants that are under review,' Bresnahan said. The combined value of these grants is $3.5 million and they're both to support the construction of a maternal health center with an operating room, she said. 'We have very little hope that those will move forward any time soon.'
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Most of the USAID assistance in Haiti comes through the United Nations, including its support of the newly created multinational police force. The US government
Even critics of US aid warn against cutting it off so precipitously.
But that doesn't mean the United States should just go cold turkey.
'There's sort of a catch-22 on it,' Johnston told me in an interview. 'Haiti is extremely dependent on foreign aid and if that foreign aid stops, there will be harm. So how do you untangle that while limiting the human damage that that process would entail?'
The chaotic stop-work order will do immediate damage on the ground. 'The area in Haiti where this will have the greatest effect is going to be the health sector,' Johnston said. That's because 'the health sector is extremely dependent on USAID financing.'
Reforming aid to Haiti is a long-term project. Abruptly freezing USAID funds will only worsen suffering in a country already on the brink.
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This is an excerpt from
, a Globe Opinion newsletter from columnist Marcela García.
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Marcela García is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
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