How the US foreign aid freeze threatens African conservation work
By Ayenat Mersie // 04 February 2025
The Trump administration’s 90-day freeze and stop-work order of U.S. foreign aid could seriously cripple the work of Kenyan environmental conservation organizations, according to conservationists in the country, with impacts likely to extend across the continent.
For decades, the U.S. Agency for International Development has played a critical role in supporting African conservation efforts, particularly initiatives that support local groups to manage and protect biodiversity.
“I would say that over the past 40 years — going back at least to the 1990s, so let's say 35 years — USAID has been a key funder of community-based conservation, particularly in Africa,” said Fred Nelson, chief executive officer of Maliasili, an organization based in Kenya and the U.S. that supports African conservation groups.
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About the author
Ayenat Mersie
Ayenat Mersie is a Global Development Reporter for Devex. Previously, she worked as a freelance journalist for publications such as National Geographic and Foreign Policy and as an East Africa correspondent for Reuters.
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