WHO: USAID
USAID (United States Agency for International Development) was a prominent US government organization that managed foreign civilian aid, leading to educational and economic growth in various developing countries. Set in place by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 during the Cold War, USAID sent emergency food, clean water, and medicine to people internationally affected by conflicts such as war, poverty, and natural disasters. For example, USAID played an important role in eliminating smallpox in the 1960s and polio in the 1990s outbreaks in Africa.
However, in January of 2025, President Donald Trump paused all foreign aid and called for reevaluation of foreign aid. In February of 2025, the USAID website went offline, and USAID employees were told not to report to headquarters in Washington, D.C. Eventually, on March 10th of 2025, the State Department announced that 5,200 USAID awards would be cancelled, which was a large majority of programs.
Currently, the shutdown of USAID has disrupted numerous programs worldwide. Healthcare assistance and efforts to fight diseases including HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis have been negatively affected, as clinics that received support from USAID have lost funding and staff. Additionally, education programs and humanitarian organizations (responsible for helping provide clean water and disaster relief) have been significantly reduced in many countries.
It is up to the WHO (World Health Organization) to consider recovery plans and how to find alternative ways to provide health and humanitarian support now that USAID has been shut down. Delegates will collaborate to discuss the effects of the end of USAID and create solutions to these negative impacts globally.