USAID-funded projects in Nepal paused after Trump administration decided to halt for 3-months
After the re-election and oath taking ceremony of Donald Trump in January 2025 as the President of United States, several decisions have been made by Trump administration as promised with their voters. The temporary halt of USAID activities is one of them which has created confusions and chaos at global level.
Elon
Musk on 3rd February twitted as 'USAID is a criminal organization'.
While writing this blog, there have been several tweets reposted by Elon Musk
that oppose existence of USAID.
We will talk more about this topic in near future after
in-depth research, but the purpose of this blog is to compare three large
language models such as ChatGPT,
Gemini and DeepSeek how they respond on the questions related to
recent decision on USAID and its implications
to Nepal. The primary objective is to know how much they can provide
updated information.
We gave the same prompt to all three language models as
below:
"Donald Trump after re-elected second time, declared
suspension of USAID support programs for at least 3 months. What are the
implications of this decision on Nepalese context? What are the reactions and
responses from Nepal as mentioned in Nepalese media? Can you provide an update
on this?"
ChatGPT's response:
President Donald Trump's recent executive order suspending
U.S. foreign assistance programs for 90 days has significant implications for
Nepal. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a major
contributor to Nepal's development, has informed the Ministry
of Finance and various non-governmental organizations about the
suspension of all grant-funded programs during this period.
Implications for Nepal:
Health Sector: The suspension could severely impact
healthcare initiatives. For instance, the Epidemiology
and Disease Control Division's planned "outbreak
investigation training" for doctors has been canceled due to halted
funding.
Development Projects: USAID had committed $659 million
over five years to various sectors in Nepal, including health, education,
agriculture, and infrastructure. The suspension affects projects worth
approximately NPR 26 billion, potentially hindering progress in these critical
areas.
Reactions and Responses from Nepal:
Nepalese media outlets have expressed concern over the
suspension. The
Kathmandu Post highlighted that the freeze could seriously impact the
healthcare sector, even though only a small portion of U.S. aid comes through
direct government funding.
The Ministry of Finance has directed the halt of
implementation of four USAID-funded projects, advising against creating
financial liabilities during the suspension period.
In summary, the suspension of USAID programs poses
significant challenges to Nepal's development efforts, particularly in health
and education. The Nepalese government and stakeholders are assessing the
situation to mitigate the impact of this abrupt funding halt.
DeepSeek's response:
The hypothetical scenario of a three-month suspension of
USAID support under a re-elected Donald Trump would have multifaceted
implications for Nepal, given USAID's significant role in sectors like health,
education, disaster management, governance, and economic development. Here's a
structured analysis:
Implications for Nepal
Healthcare Disruptions:
Maternal and Child Health: Programs addressing maternal
mortality, immunization, and nutrition could face interruptions, risking
increased morbidity.
Disease Control: Supplies for HIV/AIDS,
TB, and malaria might be delayed, affecting treatment continuity. A
suspension during monsoon (peak disease season) would exacerbate
vulnerabilities.
Infrastructure Projects: Construction of health facilities
or training of workers might stall, delaying service delivery.
Education Setbacks:
Teacher training and school infrastructure projects could be
paused, affecting educational quality and access, particularly in rural areas.
Disaster Preparedness:
Nepal’s susceptibility to earthquakes
and floods makes USAID-funded disaster risk reduction programs
critical. A pause might weaken preparedness and slow recovery efforts
post-disaster.
Economic and Governance Impact:
Small enterprise support and anti-corruption initiatives
might stagnate, hindering economic growth and governance reforms.
Local NGOs reliant on USAID could face operational crises,
leading to layoffs or project cancellations.
Social and Political Effects:
Public discontent might arise if essential services are
disrupted, prompting debates on aid dependency and calls for self-reliance.
Hypothetical Media and Institutional Reactions
Government Response: Officials might reassure citizens by
seeking alternative funding (e.g., from India,
China, or multilateral agencies like the World Bank) and emphasize
resilience. Diplomatic channels could appeal for policy reconsideration.
Media Coverage: Outlets like The Kathmandu Post or Republica would
likely highlight immediate project delays and quote affected communities.
Op-eds might critique over-reliance on foreign aid and advocate for diversified
partnerships.
Civil Society Concerns: NGOs and activists would express
alarm over vulnerable populations (women, rural communities) losing safety
nets, urging emergency measures.
Political Discourse: Parties might politicize the
suspension, with some framing it as a wake-up call for self-sufficiency, while
others critique foreign policy shifts.
Longer-Term Considerations
A three-month pause might have limited long-term effects if
resolved quickly, but prolonged uncertainty could push Nepal to diversify
donors or boost domestic resource mobilization.
Contractual delays with local suppliers could ripple through
the economy, affecting livelihoods and trust in aid partnerships.
While a short-term suspension would strain specific sectors,
Nepal’s historical experience with donor fluctuations suggests adaptive
strategies would emerge. Media and policymakers would likely use the moment to
reflect on systemic vulnerabilities and explore more sustainable development
models.
Gemini 2.0 Flash response:
I can't help with responses on elections and political
figures right now. While I would never deliberately share something that's
inaccurate, I can make mistakes. So, while I work on improving, you can
try Google
Search.
Analysis:
Looking into the responses from all three AI tools, ChatGPT
seems to have better penetration on online news media from Nepal and provided
most recent information even though it could not provide the information
itself.
DeepSeek described very well the roles of USAID and
potential implications of the Trump's decision to Nepalese context. But it
assumed the decision as futuristic activity which means DeepSeek does not have
access to the recent update.
Gemini 2.0 Flash diplomatically referred Google Search to
get updated information and admitted that it does not have updated information.
What are your thoughts on the three responses? Please share
your viewpoints using the comment box.
COMMENTS