Elon Musk’s brutal announcement on the closure of the American Agency for International Development (USAID) deprives Tunisia of major financial support.
Since 2011, USAID has allocated $ 350 million to support the country’s economic and political transition. The sudden judgment of these funding directly threatens several current projects, risking further slowing down national development.
A blow for the Tunisian economy
USAID was funding essential programs to create jobs, support SMEs, modernize administration and reduce regional inequalities. The interruption of these funds jeopardize thousands of jobs and aggravates an already fragile economic situation.
Alternatives that are difficult to mobilize
The Tunisian government must now urgently find new donors to avoid the abandonment of the projects funded by the USAID. The European Union and international financial institutions appear as potential solutions, but the vacuum left by Washington may be difficult to fill in the short term.
A global impact
Tunisia is not the only affected. The USAID operates in nearly 120 countries, supporting the fight against human trafficking, diseases, famine and the strengthening of the Allied nations of the United States.
In 2023, its budget amounted to $ 43.79 billion, or around 1% of the American federal budget.
Its disappearance could weaken the diplomatic position of the United States, reducing its influence in the beneficiary regions. USAID programs, often perceived as instruments of “soft power”, contributed to strengthening bilateral relations and promoting American democratic values.
