USAID: What happened when the funding stopped?

Business Daily

BBC

News, Business

4.4 • 796 Ratings

🗓️ 24 March 2025

⏱️ 17 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order stopping USAID projects worldwide, saying he wants overseas spending decisions to align with his election policy to "put America first".

USAID is the US government's main overseas aid agency and it administers humanitarian aid programmes on behalf of the US government.

It has bases in more than 60 countries and works in dozens of others. However, most of the work on the ground is carried out by other organisations that are contracted and funded by USAID.

The vast majority of projects have been abruptly halted. But what has this decision meant for the people who relied on them? From Kenya’s Lake Victoria to Nairobi’s slums, we explore the profound impact on lives, businesses, and livelihoods.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: [email protected]

Presented and produced by Sam Fenwick

(Image: Little boy walking on railroad tracks with Kibera slum in the background. Nairobi, Kenya. Credit: Getty Images)

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hello, this is Business Daily from the BBC World Service. I'm Sam Fenwick. Coming up today.
0:08.0	The golden age of America begins right now. It's the 20th of January. Donald Trump has been sworn in as
0:16.7	US president. I will very simply put America first.
0:24.1	As he takes office, the US Agency for International Development, USAID, is one of the
0:30.8	world's largest aid organisations.
0:33.9	It has more than 10,000 staff and an annual budget of around 40 billion US dollars.
0:40.4	It operates across nearly every continent,
0:43.3	supporting thousands of projects from providing critical healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa
0:48.7	to fostering economic development in South Asia.
0:52.2	America will soon be greater, stronger, and far more exceptional than ever
0:59.2	before. But within hours of President Trump's inauguration, he signs an executive order,
1:05.7	which imposes an immediate stop work order on U. on US foreign development assistance programs.
1:11.5	It's been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we're getting them out.
1:16.3	USAID run by radical lunatics.
1:20.6	USAID-funded projects are halted, whilst a review is carried out of their efficiency and how
1:27.0	they align with US foreign policy.
1:29.9	This abrupt halt doesn't just affect aid recipients.
1:33.3	It filters through to local economies.
1:35.8	You see more people walking because people don't have fuel anymore.
1:39.3	And use these saloons, you find them almost empty.
1:42.1	Today on Business Daily, we journey from the shores of Kenya's Lake Victoria to the slums
1:47.1	of Nairobi to explore the economic impact of USAID's closure on communities, businesses and livelihoods
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.