Humanitarian efforts in North East, others gutted by US aid cut

…State governments count costs

…Hundreds of agencies’ staff sacked, casual workers stranded

…NGOs’ offices locked

Following President Donald Trump’s recent resolve to review the aid policy of the United States of America, offices of the United States Aid offices in Nigeria and other international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) are currently under lock and key with staff saying they have no authority to speak to the media.

Trump signed an Executive Order 14169, titled ‘Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid,’ which initiated a 90-day suspension on all US foreign development assistance programmes.

This move has had far-reaching consequences for non-NGOs operating globally, particularly those reliant on US aid.

The same scenario also was reported in the Bauchi office of the USAID.

BusinessDay’s Bauchi correspondent who visited the USAID office situated close to Unity Bank, along Bank Road, reported that nothing was going on at the office, except the presence of security personnel at the main entrance of the office.

The visit was made to the USAID office at about 9:43am on Thursday.

The BAY States, comprising Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY), have been badly affected by the unending 15 years of terror. They are known to be the epi-centre of humanitarian activities solely relying on hand-out in the last 10 years due to the magnitude of displacement and destruction caused by Boko-Haram terrorists.

The zone alone houses, at least, 14 United Nations agencies, more than 40 International non-governmental organisations, and nearly 600 national and local NGOs currently working in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

Business Day findings revealed that the 90-day aid cut by the American President Donald Trump has severely affected the operations of the United Nations agencies, national and local non-governmental organisations rendering lifesaving assistance in the war-torn northeast region.

Our findings also show that there was an internal communication by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) directing that all travel has been restricted, all workshops and training should be virtually with the exception of corporate emergency, the limit of procurements, such as goods and services except only essential services, all ongoing recruitment, consultants’ services have been suspended till further notice.

A credible source also revealed that some of the UN agencies affected, including UNFPA, WHO, and UN Women, while UNHCR is partially affected.

It was also gathered that INGOs (international non-governmental organisations), iMMAP, FHi360, Care Initiative, CRS, and others were badly affected, adding that in BAY states alone, more than 100 of staff working with INGOs and local NGOs have been relieved of their jobs, while hundreds of casual staff are now stranded.

“FHi360 and iMMAP operations have been suspended, and all their staff have been relieved of their jobs also, while CRS, Care initiatives, CATAI, EYN, and others are yet to sack their staff.

A top Borno State government official, who didn’t want his name mentioned, said the pronouncement came to them as rude shock, considering the services rendered, especially by the USAID in the state.

He pointed out that WHO, UN Women, and UNFPA are severely affected because they work in the protection and reproductive sectors of the humanitarian in the northeast.

“So many people have lost their jobs in Borno State, especially those who are working on USAID-related projects. Some NGOs have shut down their operations. In fact, the FHi360 office and others are out of operation. We are still working on the details, but definitely, many have lost their jobs,” he revealed.

He further said that all workshops and trainings have been put on hold for the United Nations agencies due to some adjustments currently ongoing by the OCHA and partners.

Reacting to the development, Shehu Ahmed, chairman of the Network of Civil Society Organisations in the Northeast, expressed concern over global health and warned that the aid cuts could lead to the spread of diseases, as well as delays in vaccine development and new treatments.

He urged the U.S government to reconsider its decision and resume aid funding until alternative solutions can be found, adding that US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio issued a blanket waiver that if it is a life-saving programme, if it’s providing food or medicine or anything that is saving lives, not included in the freeze.

Shehu urged the US government to reconsider its stance, saying, “Of course, most of what UN agencies and partners do have categories into lifesaving, protection, education, peacebuilding and health services, and others. I think the US government should reconsider its decision.

Read also: USAID website outage, DHS pause threaten Nigeria’s health data

“When you talk about the food that the World Food Program distribute, the lifesaving work; UNICEF supports the world’s children’s education and development; the World Health Organization keep people alive in health centres, and UNHCR supports the refugees and many more. You know, this work, the core of what we do is that lifesaving.

“We are waiting to see how quickly this could be resolved; many people have lost the means of their livelihood, especially projects funded by USAID have stopped, and the impacts of the sanction is a big blow to the humanitarian response in the northeast.”

Mohammed Goje, executive secretary of Yobe State Emergency Management Agency, pointed out that some NGOs critically provide services to the vulnerable to complement the effort of the state government, but immediately after the pronouncement such services have been suspended. However, at the level of government, they are trying to analyse and see how they could address the gaps because it will not continue.

He maintained that the Yobe state government’s concern is about the beneficiaries and the target communities, which has left the vulnerable persons who are receiving the services stranded.

Goje explained that some may have other projects, but there are fewer. Stressing that there are a lot of ones that just stopped because they are being paid directly under USAID funding which has affected their services.

He said: “Some of the affected NGOs are supporting households with a cash package for a lifesaving activity for like six months, and it has support in two months, now it stopped in two months, and this sanction will create a lot of gaps. For us after the analysis as government to those who are directly affected. I think some of the components that have been at have b are affected are water hygiene, nutrition, IDP support, community child friendly, community support, and the victims of the recent flood.

“If there’s anything the government can do to advocate for any support for them. But at the moment, our concern is for the government to complement the gap that is being created because of the funding gap for the vulnerable population. So, what we are doing now is analysing and seeing how the government will complement the gap that has been created.”

‘We hope we survive it’

It is also the same story in Kogi State, North Central.

At the Ministry of Women Affairs, Lokoja, Isaac Inah, director planning, said that America was simply telling countries like Nigeria to sit up and fend for themselves.

Inah said that USAID was indirectly supporting Women Affair Ministry, because they support their programmes and projects, even at national levels, as they do a lot to mitigate and deescalate vulnerability and make so much impact.

“The only thing is that we as a nation need to develop our sustainability plan; we can’t continue to bank on them. That is what Trump has shown us because we have come of age and we have been talking as a nation and state of sustainability plan; so, we hope that we survive it.

“A lot of programme USAID are supporting are being flagged down for now. You go to CIP, a lot of things they do with us, they said they can’t continue for now because they don’t know their fate. USAID is a donor agency; they don’t directly pay money to us as an organization but they support implementing partners to implement programmes that support what we are doing. They support in the area of HIV/AIDS, orphans, and vulnerable children, out-of-school children, among others.

“They also speak to our mandate; from time to time we meet with them and we also know their support at various levels. They don’t give us direct funding,” Inah said.

Idris Miliki Abdul, executive director of Conscience for Human Right and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), pointed out that with this policy of Donald Trump, thousands of people have been brought back to labour market, adding that even if there is corruption in the system, there should be proper investigation before the abrupt stop to USAID support to those countries in question.

“You see, thousands of people have been sacked because of this and this is going to have a negative impact on these NGOs and their staff. Americans are also benefiting from the said programmes Donald Trump put a stop to. His reason for putting a stop to the programme may be genuine, but the manner it was introduced will have a negative effect on the NGOs and their staff. Even some of the Americans that are equally benefiting from it are not spared in this abrupt decision of Donald Trump,” Abdul said.