Canada calls USAID shutdown a ‘dangerous step back’ for foreign aid
Canada is "deeply concerned" about the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the United States' lead foreign aid agency, according to federal government officials.
This comes amid growing concerns about the potential impact on global charities and aid programs, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
The administration said this week it is pulling all employees at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) off the job and out of the field globally by the end of Friday unless they are deemed essential.
The agency’s website was replaced with that removal notice on Monday, its social media accounts are down, and all funding has been frozen as U.S. President Donald Trump and his allies target what they call wasteful spending by many USAID programs.
USAID works with several international partners, including Canada, to respond to humanitarian crises and support vulnerable populations worldwide, a spokesperson for International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen said in an emailed statement to Global News.
“Canada is deeply concerned by the U.S. administration’s decision to shut down USAID,” the spokesperson said.
The U.S. is the world’s largest humanitarian donor by far.
It spends less than one per cent of its budget on foreign assistance, a smaller share than several European countries. Canada also spends less than one per cent of its GDP on foreign aid.
USAID funds projects in some 120 countries aimed at fighting epidemics, educating children, providing clean water and supporting other areas of development.
But Trump and allies like Elon Musk have also zeroed in on programs the agency funds that promote diversity and inclusion, particularly for LGBTQ2+ people and gender equality.
“The loss of USAID’s leadership and resources represents a dangerous retreat that risks decades of progress in fighting inequality, starvation, pandemics, and authoritarianism. This decision will hit hardest for those who depend on aid for food security, health care, and emergency relief.”
Canada has partnered with USAID on several projects over the past decade, including water management in Peru and humanitarian relief in Gaza and the West Bank. Many of the projects listed in an online partner profile noted gender equality as a “significant” outcome or goal, in line with Canada’s stated priorities for foreign aid.
“Canada has been clear — foreign aid is not a handout, it’s an investment in the safety, security, and well-being of Canadians and communities around the world,” the spokesperson for Hussen’s office said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has been named the acting director of USAID, has defended the agency’s shutdown and said foreign aid will continue after a “from the bottom up” review.
“This is not about ending foreign aid. It is about structuring it in a way that furthers the national interest of the United States,” Rubio told reporters Wednesday in Guatemala City.
Democratic lawmakers have protested outside USAID’s shuttered Washington offices this week, calling the actions spearheaded by Musk “illegal” and a “coup.”
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