Key Takeaways
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo will be negatively impacted by USAID’s closure, says Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka.
- The closure of USAID will affect organizations involved in AIDS prevention and treatment.
- USAID employees worldwide have been put on administrative leave.
Geneva: The closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) will negatively affect the fight against AIDS in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), DRC Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka told Sputnik.
“Of course, we still receive significant humanitarian aid through a number of UN organizations, such as the UNHCR, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, or, in particular, UNICEF, which operate in the country. The World Health Organization, for example, plays a special role in preventing a number of epidemics. The fact that USAID’s aid has been terminated directly affects a number of organizations that are involved in the prevention and treatment of AIDS. Thus, there is a risk not only for the DRC, but for all countries that receive this aid,” the prime minister said.
In early February, US President Donald Trump appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as acting head of USAID. Rubio then notified Congress that a review of USAID’s foreign assistance activities was underway, with an eye toward a potential reorganization.
US billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), said that Trump had agreed to shut down USAID. USAID employees worldwide have been put on administrative leave.
