Canadian aid workers warn ‘catastrophic’ USAID halt puts Ottawa’s projects in limbo [Video]

Canada’s aid sector is bracing for cataclysmic suffering worldwide, and is asking Ottawa to help fill gaps as Washington winds down the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Numerous Canadian projects are in limbo as the world’s largest aid agency freezes funding to multilateral programs, and it’s unclear what will happen to millions of dollars Ottawa had sent to USAID for programming.

The aid coalition Cooperation Canada says millions of people are being abruptly cut off from life-saving supplies.

“The impact of this is catastrophic, for thousands and likely millions of people around the world,” said the group’s head Kate Higgins. “It forces Canada and Canadians to think about what sort of country we want to be.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has tasked billionaire ally Elon Musk to cut the U.S. budget. The exercise has involved a 90-day freeze on most American foreign aid, pending a review aimed at ensuring the …