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Cision Canada
an hour ago
- General
- Cision Canada
The Slaight Family Foundation commits $13 million to Canadian charities filling gaps left by USAID cuts Français
Emergency support will help address critical shortfalls in global humanitarian services TORONTO, July 30, 2025 /CNW/ - The Slaight Family Foundation is donating $13 million over two years to 13 Canadian humanitarian organizations to help fill urgent gaps in global aid caused by major funding reductions from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The fallout has been immediate and devastating: child protection services have been shuttered, recruitment of children by armed groups is on the rise and food and health aid has been severely reduced. According to UNICEF, USAID supplied 90 per cent of all ready-to-use therapeutic food, a critical tool in saving children's lives from malnutrition, that was distributed for treatment in Ethiopia in 2024. Save the Children has seen a 25 per cent decline in global funding, threatening access to clean water, reproductive health care, education and gender-based violence prevention. "Several Canadian organizations are delivering lifesaving international aid in crisis zones like Bangladesh, Yemen and South Sudan, and they need support now more than ever," said Gary Slaight, President and CEO of The Slaight Family Foundation. "We hope this funding will help sustain access to health care, food, education and protection for the world's most vulnerable." All 13 recipient organizations are Canadian-led or Canadian-supported, reinforcing Canada's leadership in global humanitarian response and international cooperation. "These cuts are happening at a time when global needs have never been greater," said Dr. Samantha Nutt, Founder and President of War Child Canada. "Without swift action, we risk losing an entire generation to violence, displacement and preventable suffering. This support from The Slaight Family Foundation is a powerful reminder that Canadian philanthropy can lead where others have stepped back." The Slaight Family Foundation's NGO Initiative Recipients: Please see summary descriptions of the various projects here and join the conversation and help amplify this important initiative on social media using #SlaightInitiative and #SupportCanadianNGOs. About The Slaight Family Foundation The Slaight Family Foundation was established in 2008 by John Allan Slaight. Allan Slaight (1931-2021), known as Canada's broadcast pioneer, was a leader in the music industry and a prominent Canadian philanthropist. The Foundation proactively supports charitable initiatives in the areas of healthcare, at-risk youth, international development, social services and culture. Allan's son, Gary Slaight, oversees the foundation as President & CEO, The Slaight Family Foundation. Including this gift, the Foundation has committed over $293M to 14 unique strategic initiatives since its inception. These initiatives include $50 million to five downtown Toronto hospitals to improve health services; $22 million for two initiatives with international NGOs to increase their capacity to address global poverty, the human rights of women and girls, and major diseases and disasters; $11 million to support the healthy development of Canadian children; $12 million to improve the physical, mental and social well-being of Canada's Indigenous youth; $40 million for emergency food security, mental health supports and research related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; $15 million to support Canadian women and girls; $30 million for community-based seniors initiatives; $15 million to support the revitalization of Toronto's theatre community; $26.5 million to support youth experiencing mental health issues; $30 million for those suffering from dementia; $30 million to support people living with disabilities; and $13 million to provide emergency support to Canadian NGOs serving the world's most vulnerable countries.
CNN
5 hours ago
- Health
- CNN
US to burn $9.7 million worth of USAID-purchased contraceptives rather than deliver them to women overseas
The Trump administration is set to destroy $9.7 million worth of US-purchased contraceptives rather than deliver them to women overseas, following the dismantling of foreign assistance programs carried out by the US Agency for International Development, or USAID. The 'preliminary decision' to destroy the USAID-procured birth control was confirmed by a State Department spokesperson, who said the cost of incinerating them would be $167,000. The contraceptives have been housed in a warehouse in Geel, Belgium. The Belgian foreign ministry said it was engaged in diplomatic talks with the US embassy to work to find alternative solutions for the supplies. Asked about whether the contraceptives will definitely be destroyed, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Tuesday that it is a 'situation that changes each day.' 'We recognize the issues, but we also, of course, are committed to policy that Americans care about,' she said at a briefing. The contraceptives are mostly long-lasting types of birth control, such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and injectables, a US congressional aide told CNN. It is not clear exactly when the supplies will be destroyed, according to the aide. 'They have to double incinerate the products because they contain high levels of hormones and they don't want to risk leaking the byproducts out in the environment, which likely adds to the cost,' the congressional aide said. 'The Trump administration is quite literally burning taxpayer money.' A list of the supplies, shared with CNN by another source with knowledge of the warehouse stock, shows that the contraceptives include copper IUDs, rod implants, birth control injections, and levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol tablets. Some have USAID branding but the majority do not, according to the source's list. Most of the products expire in 2028 or 2029, with the earliest expiration date among the products in April 2027, according to the list detailing the nearly 5 million items. The US State Department spokesperson referred to the contraceptives to be destroyed as 'certain abortifacient birth control commodities from terminated Biden-era USAID contracts.' There is controversy about whether to describe certain contraceptives as abortifacient, or causing abortion, due to the debate over whether life begins at the moment an egg is fertilized or at a later stage. Some birth control methods, including IUDs, may work by preventing implantation of a fertilized egg. However, IUDs primarily work by suppressing the release of eggs, or by preventing sperm from reaching an egg. 'Only a limited number of commodities have been approved for disposal. No HIV medications or condoms are being destroyed,' the spokesperson added. 'USAID avoided an additional $34.1 million in taxpayer costs by negotiating no-cost cancellations of pending orders placed under the Biden Administration.' The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) told CNN that there is 'no such thing as an abortifacient contraceptive.' 'By definition, contraceptives prevent pregnancy – not end a pregnancy. IUDs and other forms of birth control do not cause abortion, and any suggestion otherwise is misinformation,' ACOG said on Tuesday. Responding to media reports that the contraceptives were set to be transferred to a French medical waste facility to be destroyed by the end of July, a diplomatic source in France told CNN that the contraceptives were being handled by private entities and they had 'no information concerning any transfers,' as of Thursday last week. 'We firmly support the Belgian authorities' commitment to find a solution in order to prevent the destruction of these contraceptives, so that they may reach women and men around the world who need them and are waiting for them,' the diplomatic source added. 'Access to quality sexual and reproductive health services and products is both a human rights and a public health issue.' US Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) sent a staff member to the warehouse in Belgium as part of her effort to introduce legislation prohibiting 'the destruction of any such commodities unless all efforts to sell or donate them have been exhausted.' The staffer also found that the earliest expiration date for the contraceptives was 2027, with some of the supplies not expiring until 2031, meaning they could still be used for years to come. 'At a moment when the Trump administration has made devastating cuts to foreign assistance it is disappointing that the State Department would sign off on spending money to actually destroy paid-for commodities that would save lives and are waiting to be deployed,' Shaheen said in a statement. 'Food and family planning commodities are desperately needed in conflict affected countries, like Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo where famine is taking hold.' Belgian foreign ministry spokeswoman Florinda Baleci told CNN the country was 'exploring all possible avenues to prevent the destruction of these stocks, including their temporary relocation.' An organization called MSI Reproductive Choices said it and other funding partners had offered to pay for the shipping and repackaging of the USAID-branded supplies, but that the US government turned down the offer. 'We were not given a reason for why this offer was not accepted, but it became clear in conversations that it wouldn't be and that our efforts would be better spent finding alternative solutions to the contraception supplies gap,' said Grace Dunne, a spokeswoman for MSI, which works in 36 countries to provide reproductive healthcare, including abortion services, contraception and maternity care. In response to questions about the offer from CNN, the State Department highlighted the so-called 'Mexico City policy,' which 'prohibits providing certain assistance – directly or indirectly – to foreign nongovernmental organizations that perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning.' That policy, which opponents call the 'global gag rule,' prevents non-governmental organizations that provide abortions, give counseling about abortions or advocate for safe access to abortion from receiving US funding. The planned destruction of the contraceptives has sparked an outcry from other organizations, like Doctors Without Border (MSF), which raised concerns about contraceptive shortages in nations that were once reliant on supplies donated by USAID. 'In the communities served by MSF – whether impacted by conflict, disease outbreaks, natural and human-made disasters, or exclusion from health care – access to contraceptives is already constrained,' the organization said in a statement. 'Contexts that previously relied upon USAID funded contraceptive supplies are at a heightened risk of supply chain disruptions and stockouts.' 'MSF has seen firsthand the positive health benefits when women and girls can freely make their own health decisions by choosing to prevent or delay pregnancy – and the dangerous consequences when they cannot,' the chief executive of MSF USA, Avril Benoît, added. MSF also cited reports saying that more USAID-branded contraceptives are being housed in a warehouse in the United Arab Emirates, but the organization said the US government's plan for those supplies is unknown. A State Department spokesperson did not address a question about contraceptives warehoused in the UAE. CNN has reached out to the UAE government for comment. At the beginning of July, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed the end of USAID, saying that future foreign assistance programs would align with administration policies and be administered by the State Department. The rapid dismantling of USAID, led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has seen thousands of foreign assistance programs slashed, including many that focused on lifesaving work. A study published earlier this month by a leading medical journal, The Lancet, estimated that the USAID funding cuts could result in more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030. USAID funding was most likely to reduce mortality related to HIV/AIDS, followed by malaria, according to the study. This story has been updated with additional developments.
Globe and Mail
5 hours ago
- Health
- Globe and Mail
Slaight Family Foundation to give 13 organizations $1-million each after ‘horrifying' USAID cuts
The Slaight Family Foundation will donate $13-million to more than a dozen humanitarian organizations while they respond to crises that groups say have intensified because of billions in U.S. foreign aid cuts. Gary Slaight, the foundation's president and CEO, said it decided to give 13 organizations $1-million each because of what has unfolded since U.S. President Donald Trump slashed funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. The cuts were condemned by aid organizations, who warned they will result in millions of deaths globally. A study published in medical journal The Lancet said the move could lead to more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030 – 4.5 million of which would be children under five. USAID funding played a critical role in improving global health and was largely directed to low and middle-income countries, particularly in Africa, the study said. 'It's horrifying what's going on in some of these places,' Mr. Slaight said. A recent report from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS said the cuts have already destabilized supply chains, led to the closure of health facilities, left thousands of health clinics without staff, set back prevention programs, disrupted HIV testing efforts and forced many community organizations to reduce or halt HIV work. The Slaight Family Foundation is a Canadian philanthropic organization established in 2008 by Canadian broadcasting pioneer and music industry leader, the late John Allan Slaight. It supports a number of charitable causes, including in health care. More than 90 per cent of U.S. aid programs abruptly cancelled, jeopardizing thousands of lives Program director Terry Smith said several Canadian groups shared concerns about being able to sustain humanitarian programs. They said people are dying, such as those who cannot can't access HIV medication. She said the 13 organizations identified where funding is most needed, such as to fight famine, supply shelter and water, and provide urgent assistance for women and children. The foundation will disburse an initial payment of $500,000 on Thursday and a second will be made in a year, Ms. Smith said. The recipients are the Canadian Red Cross, Crossroads International, The Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security, Human Rights Watch Canada, Kinvia, Right to Play, Partners in Health Canada, Save the Children, Stephen Lewis Foundation, UNHCR Canada, UNICEF Canada, War Child and World Vision. Samantha Nutt, the president of War Child Canada and a physician who has worked for decades in some of the globe's most dangerous conflict zones, said the $1-million donation is a lifeline for her organization and others. Dr. Nutt said the emergency funding will allow War Child Canada to maintain the quality of its programs in Sudan, Yemen and other places where USAID is no longer available. Opinion: Canada can lead efforts to reform foreign aid that neither cuts nor continues the status quo 'For Canadian organizations, it definitely means that we can fill some of those urgent needs and urgent gaps in a way that would have been disastrous without it,' she said. Sevaun Palvetzian, the president and CEO of UNICEF Canada, said that watching governments, particularly the U.S., retreat from life-saving work is 'catastrophic.' The Slaight Family Foundation's donation will mean malnourished children in Ethiopia can be fed through 1.3 million packages of protein-rich, ready-to-use therapeutic food, she said. The funding will also help to screen hundreds of thousands of children for malnutrition and to admit more than 10,000 for emergency treatment, Ms. Palvetzian added. The Slaight Family Foundation hopes other donors will also make financial contributions. 'People are dying,' Mr. Slaight said. 'We're not going to solve the crisis with our $13-million. But we definitely feel we can help.'
UPI
5 hours ago
- Politics
- UPI
Once the faces of American aid abroad, USAID workers mourn agency's demise
Before and after: The photo at the left shows the U.S. Agency for International Development main office at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in Washington before the administration's edict to disband the agency. At right is what the building looks like today. Photos by Bridget Erin Craig/UPI WASHINGTON, July 30 (UPI) -- For decades, workers at the U.S. Agency for International Development were among the quiet architects of American diplomacy, bringing food, medicine and governance reform to places where conflict and poverty had taken root. As of July 1, hundreds lost their jobs following President Donald Trump's executive order in January to consolidate foreign assistance programs. More layoffs are expected by Sept. 2. Some 1,600 U.S.-based employees were affected by the reduction in force, with thousands more around the globe impacted. Of 6,200 programs, some 5,200 were terminated. This story profiles three former USAID workers, all of whom requested anonymity out of concern for professional retaliation and the heightened political climate. They devoted their careers to public service-often in complex, high-risk environments. Now, having lost jobs they felt deeply called to, they say they can't speak for attribution due to ongoing administrative proceedings. "The toughest thing about the closure are the literally millions of people who have been denied life-saving aid," said a former senior foreign service officer who depicted the close connection between USAID and the United Nations World Food Program in which the United States was the top donor for many years. "One of the countries that we watched very close for the World Food Program and in previous administrations was Sudan," he continued. "The acute food insecurity in Sudan today affects probably over 25 million people. A subset of those are living in famine conditions. They're going to die, and the fact that we stopped or we've reduced our food aid under this administration is tragic." Founded in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, USAID has long served as the primary engine for U.S. foreign aid, responsible for development assistance, disaster relief, global health and democratic governance. Operating in more than 100 countries, it helped the U.S. project influence without deploying troops -- a model many experts saw as essential to preventing conflict and fostering long-term alliances. "We were accused of being criminal and radical lunatics and extreme liberals doing this work. ... it's absolutely not true," a former USAID official said. "USAID was always bipartisan, ever since it was founded in early 1960s." In January, Secretary of State Marco Rubio paused all foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and USAID, aligned with Trump's executive order to ensure programs were efficient and in step with the "America first" agenda. The abrupt dismantling of USAID marked a historic retreat from U.S. soft power and upended the lives of its career civil servants, many of whom had spent decades in service to global stability. Working in places from Afghanistan to South Africa, a former senior foreign service officer served under several presidents, beginning his career as a Peace Corps volunteer. "I loved the development work so much that I wanted to make a career out of it," he said. "It's purposeful work. I just feel blessed." But nothing prepared him for the shock of USAID's sudden dissolution. "I don't think any of us expected this," he said. "I think the complete erasure of USAID is not in the United States' interest. I think it will have terrible impacts on millions of people overseas." For him, USAID wasn't just a job to this former foreign service officer of more than 30 years. It was the quiet muscle behind American credibility. "Diplomacy and development are complementary but completely different disciplines," he said. "The State Department is brilliant at diplomacy. But development? It's longer-term. It's relational. And I'm not confident they have the personnel or the tools to do it right." He recalled rural communities in Colombia, saying that residents' biggest concern, although being located in conflict zones, was not the conflict -- it was roads. Through projects like helping to build roads, the United States was able to show up. "Without decent, passable roads, as a small farmer, the odds are stacked against you," he said, explaining the importance of soft-power development. A former USAID senior adviser to a mission in Asia described public service as her calling. Inspired as a teenager by her education, an encounter with a development official and early roles that centered on infrastructure development. She served in some of the world's most fragile environments, From Afghanistan to Uganda. "In Afghanistan, endless rockets came into our compound, tried to kill us," she recalled. "But this hurt more. This was worse in every way possible because it was coming from within those very people I was serving." In January as the new Trump administration took office, she and thousands of colleagues were abruptly dismissed. She had just arrived at what was supposed to be her dream overseas post. "I didn't even get to finish my tour," she said. "I was recalled and told I was no longer needed." The emotional toll was compounded by erasure. "Every record of everything I've worked on is gone -- every policy paper, every report, every project," she said. Similarly, another former USAID official shared his extensive experience before turning to working in development. Crossing from the private sector to public service, it was the agency's mission that inspired him most -- to use American development work as a tool for stability, goodwill and shared prosperity. "It was a wonderful experience," he said. "Professionally, it was the most meaningful work I've done -- and personally, it was great for our family." His duty stations spanned from Iraq to Uganda and Thailand. He witnessed development ripple outward-- from better seed varieties feeding a nation to electricity transforming a household. "I was able to be in a home and actually flip the lights on -- for the first time they had access to electricity," he said. "It changed their life. It gave them added security, it helped their children do homework at night without burning kerosene and it helped them make a little extra money by letting their neighbors use their power to charge their phones." What hurts most, he said, was not just the shutdown but rather its execution. "If the administration had said, 'We want to move in a different direction,'" he suggested that most people would have disagreed, but if it were handled professionally, they would have understood. Instead, he said, he and his colleagues were labeled criminals and radicals, and that was the basis for shutting the programs down. He said he believes the negative impact on U.S. credibility, fragile alliances and the mental health of career public servants will last years. "We built this up for 60 years to be a machine, and yes, it was bureaucratic and it was slow, but it did a lot of good work. The biggest challenge was the layer upon layer of excessive oversight," the former official said. The Trump administration has said that USAID's core functions are to be absorbed into the State Department, including foreign assistance, humanitarian relief and development aid. One former senior State Department official who frequently worked with USAID, and who asked to speak on background to candidly discuss internal fallout, questioned the ability of the State Department to absorb USAID's missions, given how vital the agency was in serving as the soft power arm of the United States. By empowering civil societies and helping build democracy from the bottom up, he said he believed USAID positively influenced development, entrusted its partners and helped stabilize regions. He said they way staffers were terminated was deeply troubling. After spending their careers as public servants, advancing U.S. interests often in difficult and dangerous conditions, employees were given little warning and treated as though they had done something wrong. The former official said he fears USAID's closure will have long-term consequences on America's global influence and credibility. He still encourages young people passionate about international development to continue working abroad with nongovernmental organizations and civil society groups -- and to remain hopeful. Trump had clashed with USAID during his first term, accusing it of promoting values that conflicted with his administration's agenda. But few expected the agency's total elimination during his second term. The decision drew swift backlash from allies, humanitarian organizations and several retired diplomats, who warned it would leave a vacuum in places where U.S. presence already was fading.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
European stockpile of USAID-funded contraceptives faces destruction
Millions of dollars' worth of US-funded contraceptives which have been sitting in storage for months in a Belgian warehouse face destruction amid a controversy over whether they can be spared for distribution to the needy. The stash is reported to include more than 50,000 intrauterine devices, nearly two million doses of injectable contraceptives, and more than two million packets of oral birth control, and is being kept in the small city of Geel near Antwerp. The contraceptive products were originally intended for distribution to lower-income countries by the now dismantled United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Following the dissolution of USAID - whose aim was to improve health, reduce poverty, and promote human rights and democracy in low-income nations - many international projects and partnerships have been abandoned. The US government's current plan for the contraceptives left in limbo in Geel is to incinerate them—despite their expiration date being between 2027 and 2031. This isn't the first time the American government has opted for such a drastic solution. After budget cuts, food rations capable of feeding 3.5 million people for a month were reportedly left to rot in warehouses around the world, as documented by Reuters. The decision to destroy the contraceptive supplies has drawn sharp criticism from civil society groups. 'It's the height of hypocrisy for a government to preach efficiency and cutting waste, only to turn around and recklessly destroy life-saving supplies when the need has never been greater. This isn't just inefficient — it's unconscionable,' said Micah Grzywnowicz, regional director of International Planned Parenthood Federation's European network. IPPF publicly offered to collect the supplies from Geel, repackage them in its warehouse in the Netherlands, and distribute them to women in need across the globe, 'all at no cost to the US government', according to Grzywnowicz. Several other organisations, including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the global charity MSI Reproductive Choices, have also expressed willingness to purchase or redistribute the stockpiles. All offers have reportedly been rejected by the Trump administration. The Belgian government also confirmed to Euronews it is in contact with the US embassy in Brussels. 'The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is exploring all possible avenues to prevent the destruction of these stocks, including their temporary relocation,' a spokesperson told Euronews. As the supplies are reportedly set to be removed to France for destruction, politicians from the French Green Party, Les Écologistes, have appealed to President Emmanuel Macron to intervene. 'We cannot allow Donald Trump's anti-choice agenda to unfold on our territory. And so today, France must mediate with the Commission,' MEP Mélissa Camara (France/The Greens), one of the signatories of the letter, told Euronews. She added that the destruction of these contraceptives would endanger women around the world, especially in Africa, the original destination of the supplies. Camara has also addressed a separate letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other members of the Commission, including Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, whose portfolio includes sexual and reproductive health and rights. A spokesperson told Euronews that the European Commission had 'taken note of the letters and acknowledge the concerns raised'. They added that the EU remains strongly committed to promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), including family planning, and that investment in SRHR is a key contributor to social and economic development. 'We continue to monitor the situation closely to explore the most effective solutions,' the spokesperson said.
