 "File Image- Reuters")
The Trump administration’s sweeping decision to cut nearly all US foreign aid has left dozens of water and sanitation projects incomplete across multiple countries, exposing millions to health and environmental risks.
Reuters reported 21 stalled infrastructure projects in 16 countries, based on interviews with 17 sources familiar with the matter. Many of these projects, never publicly disclosed before, have been abandoned mid-construction, with equipment and materials left unsecured as contractors halted work following aid cancellations.
In Mali, water towers intended for schools and health centres have been left incomplete, while in Nepal, work on more than 100 drinking water systems has been suspended. Nepal’s water minister, Pradeep Yadav, confirmed the country would now rely on its own resources to finish the job.
In Lebanon, a solar power initiative to energise water utilities was scrapped, resulting in 70 job losses. In its absence, the country is forced to depend on diesel and other costly alternatives, according to Suzy Hoayek, an adviser to Lebanon’s energy ministry.
In Kenya’s Taita Taveta County, residents now face a heightened flood threat from an unfinished irrigation canal. “The floods will definitely get worse,” said 74-year-old farmer Mary Kibachia, whose home was recently inundated.
”I have no protection from the flooding that the canal will now cause, the floods will definitely get worse,” said farmer Mary Kibachia, 74.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID), once responsible for these projects, has been sidelined as the State Department took over foreign aid management. While some funding has been restored — notably for a $6 billion desalination plant in Jordan — most halted projects remain in limbo. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated that future aid will be more limited.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsTrump’s cuts, which include humanitarian and health assistance, could result in an additional 14 million deaths by 2030, according to The Lancet. Despite bipartisan support in the past — including a 2014 law that doubled funding for water projects — the administration has pushed for reduced overseas spending, arguing that such resources should benefit Americans instead.
In Congo, unfinished water kiosks now serve as playgrounds, while families continue to face violence during water collection. “When we send young girls, they are raped. Young boys are kidnapped,” said Evelyne Mbaswa, whose 16-year-old son disappeared while fetching water.
In Kenya, only 15% of a five-year, $100 million USAID water project had been completed before it was stopped in January. Open trenches and unplastered canal walls now pose safety hazards. A draft U.S. embassy memo warns that abandoning these projects could damage America’s reputation and potentially strengthen extremist groups in the region.
“The reputational risk of not finishing these projects could turn into a security risk,” the memo said, referencing past al Shabaab attacks in Kenya.
As communities struggle to salvage materials and raise local funds to resume work, residents like Kibachia remain trapped in the aftermath. “Where can I go? This is home,” she said.
With inputs from agencies