Trump's aid cuts leave ‘critical' Jane Goodall chimpanzee conservation project in crisis
The five-year 'Hope Through Action' project, launched in November 2023 by the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), aimed to protect endangered chimpanzees and restore their habitats through reforestation and community-led conservation.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), awarded $29.5m (£22m) for the project, but is now pulling out amid president Donald Trump 's decision to cut most of the country's foreign aid funding.
The Institute confirmed to The Independent that USAID's withdrawal came just 18 months into a planned four-year performance period for Hope Through Action (HTA).
'Overall, HTA was a continuation of a 20-year partnership with USAID to promote local governance and conservation of natural resources in western Tanzania,' Diana Leizinger, director of JGI Austria, told The Independent.
'The total amount awarded in 2024 to JGI to implement HTA was $29.4m. Programme expenses up to the termination of the award in March 2025 were $4.6m. The termination resulted in an immediate 2025 reduction in funding of $5.5m,' Ms Leizinger said.
JGI warned that USAID's withdrawal could have wider ecological consequences.
'JGI's work in the region and the country have been fundamental to supporting generations of chimpanzees over the last 65 years of work in Tanzania, including the estimated 2,000 chimpanzees that live there today,' Ms Leizinger said.
'This critical capacity has led to the designation of 700,000 hectares (1.75 million acres) as district and village forest reserves and a 50 per cent reduction in deforestation rates in the target landscape when compared to a control area.
'It has been a key factor in restoring forests, watersheds and stabilising and protecting populations of wildlife such as chimpanzees, elephants, buffalos, and lions.'
'JGI is committed to moving forward in Tanzania with our partners, particularly at the community level, while seeking diverse sources of funding. The work in the Gombe region and Western Tanzania is too important to neglect.'
Chimpanzees have become extinct in three African countries, and their population in the wild is 300,000, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Ms Goodall, who has championed chimpanzee protection for over six decades, has criticised Mr Trump's environmental policies in the past.
Her conservation model emphasises collaboration between local communities and ecosystems, aiming to reduce conflict and promote sustainable development.
Mr Trump cut USAID funds in January, saying the organisation that provides humanitarian aid abroad is 'not aligned with American interests'. The Trump administration is also poised to ask Congress for $8.3 billion in cuts to foreign aid efforts, which range from climate work to LGBTQ+ programmes, The Independent previously reported.
The decision has derailed the projected end of the AIDS pandemic and means the number of AIDS-related deaths could jump from six million to 10 million in the next five years unless aid is reinstated. Data projections indicate there will be 3.4 million more orphans who have lost at least one parent to AIDS, and 600,000 more newborns could contract HIV by 2030.
USAID funding was crucial for climate and environmental efforts around the world. Though the US only spent one per cent of its federal budget on foreign aid, it funded a quarter of all global support, data shows.
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The Independent
18 minutes ago
- The Independent
Israel is in talks to possibly resettle Palestinians from Gaza in South Sudan
Israel is in discussions with South Sudan about the possibility of resettling Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the war-torn East African country, part of a wider effort by Israel to facilitate mass emigration from the territory left in ruins by its 22-month offensive against Hamas. Six people familiar with the matter confirmed the talks to The Associated Press. It's unclear how far the talks have advanced, but if implemented, the plans would amount to transferring people from one war-ravaged land at risk of famine to another, and raise human rights concerns. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he wants to realize U.S. President Donald Trump 's vision of relocating much of Gaza's population through what Netanyahu refers to as 'voluntary migration.' Israel has floated similar resettlement proposals with other African nations. Palestinians, rights groups, and much of the international community have rejected the proposals as a blueprint for forcible expulsion in violation of international law. For South Sudan, such a deal could help it build closer ties to Israel, now the almost unchallenged military power in the Middle East. It is also a potential inroad to Trump, who broached the idea of resettling Gaza's population in February but appears to have backed away in recent months. Israel's Foreign Ministry declined to comment and South Sudan's foreign minister did not respond to questions about the talks. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said it doesn't comment on private diplomatic conversations. Egypt opposes proposals to resettle Palestinians out of Gaza Joe Szlavik, the founder of a U.S. lobbying firm working with South Sudan, said he was briefed by South Sudanese officials on the talks. He said an Israeli delegation plans to visit the country to look into the possibility of setting up camps for Palestinians there. No known date has been set for the visit. Israel did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of the visit. Szlavik said Israel would likely pay for makeshift camps. Edmund Yakani, who heads a South Sudanese civil society group, said he had also spoken to South Sudanese officials about the talks. Four additional officials with knowledge of the discussions confirmed talks were taking place on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss them publicly. Two of the officials, both from Egypt, told AP they've known for months about Israel's efforts to find a country to accept Palestinians, including its contact with South Sudan. They said they've been lobbying South Sudan against taking the Palestinians. 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The Trump administration has pressured a number of countries to help facilitate deportations. 'Cash-strapped South Sudan needs any ally, financial gain and diplomatic security it can get,' said Peter Martell, a journalist and author of a book about the country, 'First Raise a Flag.' Israel's Mossad spy agency provided aid to the South Sudanese during their decades-long civil war against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum ahead of independence in 2011, according to the book. The State Department, asked if there was any quid pro quo with South Sudan, said decisions on the issuing of visas are made 'in a way that prioritizes upholding the highest standards for U.S. national security, public safety, and the enforcement of our immigration laws.' From one hunger-stricken conflict zone to another Many Palestinians might want to leave Gaza, at least temporarily, to escape the war and a hunger crisis bordering on famine. 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A peace deal reached seven years ago has been fragile and incomplete, and the threat of war returned when the main opposition leader was placed under house arrest this year. Palestinians in particular could find themselves unwelcome. The long war for independence from Sudan pitted the mostly Christian and animist south against the predominantly Arab and Muslim north. Yakani, of the civil society group, said South Sudanese would need to know who is coming and how long they plan to stay, or there could be hostilities due to the 'historical issues with Muslims and Arabs.' 'South Sudan should not become a dumping ground for people,' he said. 'And it should not accept to take people as negotiating chips to improve relations.' ___ ___
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The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Soaring demand at food banks across Africa thanks to massive aid cuts
Food banks across Africa have told The Independent that cuts to foreign aid – primarily by Donald Trump in the US, but including the UK – are helping to significantly drive up the number of people needing their help, while reducing the supplies they can hand out. Food Forward South Africa said that demand for its food services has soared since the start of the year and is expected to increase yet further as grants from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) run out in the coming months, while Food Banking Kenya has revealed that demand is up 300 per cent this year. In Nigeria, the Lagos Food Bank is another that is expecting shortages thanks to US aid cuts. 'The numbers we are seeing this year are absolutely huge. We thought numbers were big in other years, but this is completely unimaginable,' says John Gathungu, CEO of Food Banking Kenya. 'We are doing all we can to restrain people and discourage them from collecting food from us.' Food Banking Kenya also partners with the Kenyan Red Cross, another organisation impacted by aid cuts, which runs health and ambulance services around the country. The food bank is working to help patients with food deliveries that the Red Cross is unable to completely support – but is nonetheless struggling to meet demand, which has led to tragic consequences. 'There was one story where the Red Cross called our offices to say that there is a family in a certain area - a woman with three children - who were in a desperate situation after being unable to eat for three days,' says Gathungu. 'By the time our delivery driver arrived it was already too late - the woman had actually committed sucide... which was incredibly distressing for us.' Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria all took massive hits when USAID terminated more than 80 per cent of its contracts in May, worth an estimated $260 million, $224m, and $178m respectively. But it is not just decisions from Washington that are hitting government budgets in Sub-Saharan Africa: next year is set to mark the third consecutive year of decline in G7 aid spending, according to Oxfam, with the US (down $33 billion), the UK (down $5bn), Germany (down $3.5bn) and France (down $3bn) all significantly cutting overseas aid year-on-year. Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria have also all seen their public services and social security provision deteriorate as a result, with HIV services in South Africa and food aid in Nigeria particularly devastated. 'Suprised how many organisations relied on aid' Kenya is major agricultural economy that exports food all around the globe - but also faces major food insecurity challenges, with 46 per cent of people living on less than $3 a day, according to the Word Bank. 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'I have been surprised just how many partners and projects relied on USAID for funding,' says Gathungu. For example, the Food Bank was due to partner with a company called Nature Lock to deliver school meals to 200 schools in informal settlements. Despite the fact that all the paperwork had already been signed, the stop-work order from USAID led to the entire deal being put on pause - until Food Banking Kenya moved to fill the gap with its own food and logistics operation. 'We could not just say to the 20,000 children who were going to receive food, that that simply was not going to happen any more,' says Gathungu. 'Worse to come' Elsewhere on the continent, Food Forward South Africa distributes 25m tonnes of food last year, making it the largest food banking organisation in Africa by some margin. The charity - which is sourced from farms, manufacturers, and supermarket - is based in Cape Town, but reaches hundreds of thousands of people in small, rural communities through programmes that include direct food assistance, nutrition services for mothers and babies, school breakfasts, and community kitchens for vulnerable groups. According to Food Forward's managing director, Andy DuPlessis, the charity has already seen an increase in demand this year –to the point where they have had to put a pause on all applications for new distribution partners. 'We normally get around 100 and 250 applications a month, but are currently getting 350 to 400 applications,' he says. In the coming months, DuPlessis believes that demand is set to increase by a further 10 to 20 per cent as USAID grants and redundancy payments begin to 'fizzle out', and more people begin to require their services. 'The cuts are phased out by September, and unemployment insurance is also running out, so we anticipate over the next year we will see a big increase in demand,' he says. Core drivers of demand, DuPlessis continues, include middle class individuals who have lost USAID-funded jobs and require financial support, as well as people suffering from chronic illnesses like HIV who are no longer able to work, or services that provide support for chronic illnesses that can no longer provide food off their own back. Even before the impact of aid cuts, some 55 per cent of South Africa's population lived below the poverty line, and around a quarter of households were severely food insecure - despite the fact that South Africa is a major food exporter, and produces more than enough food for its people to eat. The country's difficulties are set to increase yet further as a result of new tariffs from the Trump administration worth 30 per cent - a tax that puts up to 100,000 jobs at risk, according to authorities. In Nigeria, the Lagos Food Bank has been operating for 10 years now to bring food to communities in a country where millions are suffering from long-term food insecurity. Last year a team of 30,000 volunteers was able to feed some three million people by directing excess food from supermarkets and farms - but according to Michael Sunbola, executive director at the food bank, this was just a 'drop in the ocean'. Having suffered a significant funding hit due to Trump slashing USAID programmes, the organisation says that the aid cuts will only worsen a pattern that it is already seeing thanks to the country's chronic food insecurity and food inflation. 'The last year has seen the cost of living soar and people's disposable income plummet, pushing the middle classes into poverty and fueling demand for the food bank,' says Sunbola. 'We thought there was high demand during Covid – but what we are seeing right now is five times that,' says Sunbola. Food inflation in Nigeria currently stands at more than 30 per cent, as a result of weak harvests and low food stocks in the country. 'The last year has seen the cost of living soar and people's disposable income plummet, pushing the middle classes into poverty and fueling demand for the food bank,' says Sunbola. Aid cuts have, however, will impact food bank's ability to keep its services open, with international donor organisation also losing their own funding through USAID or other aid cuts. Earlier this year, two international partners pulled out from supporting the food bank, says Sunbola - but so far the food bank has largely been able to fill the gap by working with new corporate partners. Climate's compounding effect Climate change is also a key driver of Nigeria's food insecurity crisis, driving less regular rainfall patterns and prolonged dry seasons, says Sunbola. 'Agricultural yields, particularly in the Northern regions of Nigeria, are being seriously impacted,' Sunbola adds. 'Weak yields then have a major impact on food prices here in Lagos.' Meanwhile, South Africa is 'being hit by more and more extreme weather events like droughts and flooding - and when these happen we are often first responders on the scene with food supplies,' says DuPlessis. In fact, all three programmes also report how climate change is only increasing pressures on food systems. In Kenya, meanwhile, climate impacts have at times been so severe over the last few years that at times farmers themselves have had to be supplied with food support. 'Rains have become weaker, and much less predictable. Farmers' crops are failing and hunger is striking rural communities,' says Gathungu. 'in 2023 there were issues of having no rain, while in 2024 there were was too much rain and farms became flooded. Both years we have had to supply food to smallholder farmers who in previous years supplied food to us.' This article is part of The Independent's Rethinking Global Aid project If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@ or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to to find a helpline near you.
Reuters
6 hours ago
- Reuters
South African jobless rate rises, highlighting coalition challenge
PRETORIA, Aug 12 (Reuters) - South Africa's unemployment rate rose for the second quarter in a row, official data showed on Tuesday, highlighting one of the biggest challenges faced by the country's year-old coalition government. The official unemployment rate stood at 33.2% in April-June, up from 32.9% in January-March (ZAUNR=ECI), opens new tab, one of the highest rates worldwide. The coalition government formed after the African National Congress lost its parliamentary majority in the 2024 election has struggled to achieve a meaningful drop in the jobless rate, despite making that a priority. Statistics South Africa said the number of unemployed people increased to 8.367 million in the second quarter (ZAUEMP=ECI), opens new tab, though there was a slight drop in an expanded definition of unemployment, which includes those discouraged from seeking work. Six of the 10 industries tracked by the statistics agency recorded employment decreases, while four had increases in the latest three-month period. The most jobs were lost in community and social services, agriculture and finance. Top statistics official Risenga Maluleke said it was too early to tell whether U.S. tariffs were having an effect on the jobs data. South African exports to the U.S. were hit with a 30% tariff last week, the highest rate in sub-Saharan Africa. Maluleke dismissed criticism by the former head of major local bank Capitec (CPIJ.J), opens new tab that the statistics agency was underestimating the number of people with informal jobs. He told a press conference his agency had always measured that and made its numbers available, adding that South Africa would be making "a big mistake as a country if we want to assume that we do not have an unemployment challenge". Desiree Manamela, chief director of labour statistics, said updates to the way Statistics SA collects unemployment data that will be rolled out in the next quarter were unlikely to significantly affect the official jobless rate. But they should allow the agency to include additional measures of the health of the economy in its reports, she said.
