BBC: All diseases related to extreme poverty. Let's speak now to Farah Kabir, Country Director for Action Aid Bangladesh, but currently here in London. Farah, good to see you.
What kind of impact are these cuts that USAID has made going to make to people in Bangladesh, the people you support?
Farah Kabir: Well, already 103 USAID funded projects across Bangladesh were suspended and 9,000 local professionals are out of jobs. The previous speaker mentioned about health and child care, women rights, economic justice, economic projects. All this has been impacted.
You know, in the Rohingya refugee camps where the US was one of the biggest contributors, last year they contributed $1 billion. They have frozen. And so we had to really think about how to continue providing even simple things like the whole food package, which is water and so on.
And now primary health care is there. There's no secondary health care and there's no plans for supporting women's health. Education has been dropped.
Teachers have lost their jobs. So it's really had an immense impact on all the sectors in Bangladesh and in the world's largest refugee camp, which is in Cox's Bazar with the Rohingya refugees.
BBC: Farah, is there any way another country could step in? Can you see that happening?
Farah Kabir: Well, unfortunately, the Germans, the UK, they have also started to cut down on their aid.
And so stepping in would be very difficult. And the gap is so huge. We have finally received a promise for about 30% of the fundings that is required for the Rohingya refugees.
Across the country, the community clinic, tuberculosis, HIV AIDS supported programmes. We have not yet seen that action by other countries to fill in the gap. At this point in time, it seems doubtful, but we are hoping that other countries, rich countries, advanced countries will step in because it's a question of people's rights, people's life, especially women and girls.
BBC: Absolutely. Tell me particularly on that, the impact on women and girls, Farah.
Farah Kabir: So what has happened is now by taking away these jobs, families are impacted by taking away the reproductive health services, community clinic services, women and girls will not get that service.
Loss of jobs has led to food insecurity, and there's going to be in the long run, an increase in child marriage. We are already suffering climate change induced displacement, those groups are going to be affected. So it is a huge challenge in front of us.
And it is very sad to see that women and children's programme has been deprioritized by the US.
BBC: Farah, thank you very much for joining us.
Watch the Interview 👉 Farah Kabir on BBC: USAID Cuts Threaten Lives in Bangladesh
