Ebola and the Dismantlement of USAID

 The American Security Project published on 24 June 2026 a commentary titled "From Aid Cuts to Ebola: A Predictable Crisis Unfolds" by Mohamed Siddiqui.  

The dismantlement of USAID, removal of its on the ground personnel in the DRC and Uganda, and cutting of foreign aid funding for health programs has left international humanitarian groups to provide the bulk of the support for affected communities.  The result has been predictable: a faster spread of Ebola and greater cost to bring it under control.  

Drone Attacks in Sudan Disrupt Humanitarian Access

 UN News published on 9 June 2026 an article titled "Sudan War: Drone Attacks Damage Key Aid Routes."

Escalating drone attacks on key roads and bridges in Darfur and Kordofan are disrupting humanitarian access in Sudan and putting civilians at further risk.  

China Sends Medical Team to Fight Ebola in DRC

 The South China Morning Post published on 7 June 2026 an article titled "Chinese Medical Team Arrives in DR Congo to Help Fight Ebola, 'Filing US Void'" by Jevans Nyabiage.  

China sent a small medical team to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it has significant interests in critical minerals, to combat the outbreak of Ebola.  It is not clear, however, whether the effort will match the extensive contribution it made to combatting Ebola in West Africa in 2014-2016.  

Will China Replace US in Fight against African Ebola?

 The New York Times published on 6 June 2026 an article titled "As Ebola Spreads in East Africa, Will China Step Up?" by Lily Kuo and Stephanie Nolen.

The United States is playing a much smaller role in combatting Ebola in Africa than it has in previous outbreaks.  China has made a modest contribution, but it is unclear how much Beijing is willing to do to help confront what could become the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history.  

Dismantlement of USAID Prevents US from Responding to Africa's Ebola Outbreak

 The Guardian published on 21 May 2026 an article titled "US Is 'Simply Choosing Not to Stop' Ebola Outbreak after Massive Public Health Cuts, Experts Say" by Melody Schreiber.  

Following the dismantlement of the US Agency for International Development and massive cuts in global and domestic public health efforts, the United States appears to be doing little to stem the outbreak of Ebola in central Africa.  

War in Iran Disrupts Humanitarian Assistance for Sudan

 UN News published on 10 April 2026 an update titled "Sudan: 14 Million Displaced; Hunger and Attacks on Health Continue as War Enters Fourth Year."

Some 14 million people, or a quarter of the population, have been forced to flee, with 9 million remaining displaced inside Sudan and 4.4 million as refugees mostly in Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt.  In addition, 21 million Sudanese now face acute food insecurity, including 6.3 million in the direst state of food emergency.  Over 40 percent of Sudan's population require urgent health assistance and disease outbreaks are widespread.

Most of the UN agencies have their main logistics hub in the United Arab Emirates.  The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is impacting their ability to respond as humanitarian supply routes have been cut and shipping aid has become slower and more costly.

Outbreak of Marburg Virus in Ethiopia

 The World Health Organization posted on 14 November 2025 an announcement titled "Ethiopia Confirms Outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease."

Ethiopia has reported 9 cases of Marburg virus, an often-fatal disease transmitted to humans by fruit bats.  It is in the same family of diseases that cause Ebola.  There is no vaccine for effective management or prevention of Marburg.  

USAID Cuts Resulting in Deaths in Sudan

 The Washington Post published on 29 June 2025 an article titled "In Sudan, Where Children Clung to Life, Doctors Say USAID Cuts Have Been Fatal" by Katharine Houreld.  

Following the dismantlement of USAID and cuts in support for community soup kitchens and the end of critical medical supplies in Sudan, more Sudanese are dying.  The World Health Organization estimates that 5 million Sudanese may lose access to lifesaving health services as a result of the US cuts.  

Slow-running Disaster of Foreign Aid Cuts

 France 24 posted on 23 April 2025 an 11-minute interview titled "Trump's Foreign Aid Cuts Are a 'Slow-running Disaster', Former USAID Administrator Says" with J. Brian Atwood.  

Atwood discusses the downsides of dismantling the US Agency for International Development.  As more people suffer in the Global South due to cuts in foreign aid by the United States and other donors, there will be additional pressure to migrate to developed countries.  There will be increased challenges in combatting global health threats such as Ebola, putting everyone at risk.  While countries like China will take propaganda advantage of the slashing of US foreign aid, they are not in a position to fill the gap.  

Some Numbers on Impact of USAID Dismantlement

 VOX published on 16 March 2025 an article titled "The Devastating Impact of Trump's Slashing Foreign Aid, in 3 Charts" by Jess Craig.

This article provides some numbers on the global impact of slashing foreign aid, especially in the health care sector.  

Dismantling of USAID Sets Stage for Global Disease Outbreaks

 The New York Times published on 8 March 2025 an article titled "How Foreign Aid Cuts Are Setting the Stage for Disease Outbreaks" by Apoorva Mandavilli.  

The Trump administration's pause in foreign aid has hobbled programs that prevent outbreaks of disease such as Ebola and dengue around the world.  These diseases eventually appear everywhere, including the United States.  The interruption and possible termination of USAID funding increase the likelihood of uncontrolled disease outbreaks.  

Abolishing USAID Is Not the Answer

 Foreign Policy published on 4 February 2025 a commentary titled "Abolishing USAID Is Both Unconstitutional and Disastrous" by Matthew M. Kavanagh and Luis Gil Abinaden, both at Georgetown University.  

This is a convincing argument from a public health perspective why the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) makes no sense. Moving what remains of USAID into the State Department is equally unwise.   

Photo Essay on Sudan's Humanitarian Crisis

 The Council on Foreign Relations posted on 19 September 2024 a photo essay titled "Crisis in Sudan, War, Famine, and a Failing Global Response" by Mariel Ferragamo and Sabine Baumgartner.

Making widespread use of photos and maps, the article describes a failing aid response and unsuccessful peace process in efforts to end the tragedy in Sudan.

Sudan Rejects Call for International Force to Protect Civilians

 The BBC published on 8 September 2024 an article titled "Sudan Rejects UN Call for Peace Force to Protect Civilians" by Farouk Chothia.

Sudan's military-led government has rejected in its "entirety" a call by a UN fact finding mission for the deployment of an international force to protect civilians from the effects of the ongoing civil war.  The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has not commented on the request.  

Mapping Growth of Burial Grounds in Sudan

 Reuters published on 20 June 2024 an article titled "Sudan's Cemeteries Swell with Fresh Graves as Hunger and Disease Spread" by Ryan McNeill, Maggie Michael, and Reade Levinson.  

As hunger and disease spread in Sudan, especially Darfur region, the graveyards grow in size.  Almost 20 percent of Sudan's population is currently facing an emergency food situation or worse because of the civil war.  About two-thirds of Sudanese no longer have access to healthcare.  Sudan risks a lost generation.  

Prediction of Possible Famine in Sudan

 Reuters published on 6 March 2024 an article titled "Millions of Sudanese Go Hungary as War Disrupts Food Supply" by Nafisa Eltahir.

Aid agencies are now unable to deliver food to many areas of war-torn Sudan.  At least one aid agency is suggesting the possibility of a biblical style famine in Sudan.

Sudan Is a Humanitarian Nightmare

 ABC News published on 25 October 2023 an article titled "Sudan Now One of the 'Worst Humanitarian Nightmares in Recent History'" by Emma Ogao.  

UN Humanitarian and Emergency Relief head Martin Griffiths recently said that 6 months of war in Sudan between the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has plunged the country into "one of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history."

Horn of Africa Faces New Malaria Threat

 The New York Times published on 1 October 2023 an article titled "An Invasive Mosquito Threatens Catastrophe in Africa" by Stephanie Nolen.

The Anopheles stephensi malaria-carrying species of mosquito, which is resistant to all insecticides, has adapted to thrive in urban environments and survive in dry seasons. It is breeding across the continent and its spread is inevitable.  

Death Toll for Drought in Somalia

 The Associated Press published on 20 March 2023 an article titled "Report: 43,000 Estimated Dead During Somalia's Drought  Last Year" by Cara Anna.

An estimated 43,000 people died during Somalia's drought in 2022.  As many as 34,000 are forecast to die in the first half of 2023, according to a report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.

WHO and UNICEF published a summary of the report titled "From Insight to Action: Examining Mortality in Somalia."

WHO Chief Says Uncle "Murdered" by Eritrean Troops

 The Washington Post published on 15 December 2022 an article titled "WHO Chief Says Uncle Was 'Murdered' by Eritrean Troops in Ethiopia's Tigray" by Victoria Bisset.

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on 14 December that Eritrean forces inside Ethiopia's Tigray Region "murdered" his uncle together with more than 50 people in the same village.  Tedros, an ethnic Tigrayan, did not provide further details.  Eritrean forces have operated inside Tigray Region since the outbreak of conflict in Tigray Region two years ago.