America’s Shadow in Nepal: How USAID Cuts Exacerbate Humanitarian Crises

The shadows alongside Nepal’s darkened highways have long been a refuge for transgender sex workers, a community already vulnerable to violence and exploitation. Aid workers from organizations like Friends Hetauda had visited this spot for years, offering free HIV tests and counseling as part of their efforts to mitigate the public health implications of poverty and conflict.

In 2022, however, the United States’ decision to slash its foreign aid funding had a devastating ripple effect on these aid workers. The USAID cuts resulted in job losses for over 280,000 aid professionals worldwide, with most living outside the U.S. in areas where other employment opportunities are scarce. In Nepal, this impact was particularly pronounced due to the country’s conservative culture and limited job prospects for openly transgender individuals.

The resulting humanitarian crisis is a stark reminder of the unintended consequences of America’s foreign policy decisions. The situation on the ground is dire: nearly all 15 former aid workers interviewed in Nepal reported facing violence since turning to sex work as a means of survival. Many have been victims of gang rape, and most have been forced into unprotected sex with clients due to economic desperation.

Princy Tamang’s case illustrates this larger crisis. A former HIV outreach counselor who lost her job after the USAID cuts, Tamang now works as a sex worker by the highway, feeling her potential slipping away with each passing day. Her story is not unique; Rubi Lama and Bharati Thapa, both former colleagues at Friends Hetauda, have also been forced into sex work due to economic necessity.

The public health implications of this crisis are far-reaching. With HIV prevalence among sex workers and the LGBTQ+ community likely to spike, Nepal’s fragile healthcare system will struggle to cope with the consequences. Police raids on sex workers often lead to harassment and violence at the hands of law enforcement officers, further exacerbating the situation.

The USAID cuts have not only exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Nepal but also underscore a broader pattern of American foreign policy decisions that prioritize ideological interests over human lives. By slashing aid funding, the U.S. has inadvertently empowered anti-humanitarian actors and worsened poverty, conflict, and inequality in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.

As the international community grapples with the aftermath of the USAID cuts, it is imperative to acknowledge the human cost of these decisions. Rather than simply reversing the funding cuts, America must engage in a critical examination of its foreign policy priorities and consider the long-term consequences of its actions. The people of Nepal, including those who have been forced into sex work by economic desperation, deserve better from their international partners.

The shadows alongside Nepal’s highways serve as a stark reminder of the humanitarian crises that can result from shortsighted foreign policy decisions. It is time for the U.S. to take responsibility for its actions and work towards creating a more just and equitable world, where aid workers can do their jobs without fear of poverty, violence, or exploitation.