The Humanitarian Lens

Understanding the aid shift and its devastating impact on global health programs


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On this episode of the Humanitarian Lens podcast, MSF International President Dr. Javid Abdelmoneim speaks with host Chigo Ahunanya about the impact of US policy changes and funding cuts that upended humanitarian aid and global health programs over the past year.   


MSF does not accept US government funding, but our teams have witnessed the devastating impacts on the communities we assist: Clinics closed. Medicines sat stranded at ports. Health workers lost their jobs. 


Dr. Abdelmoneim talks about his experience working with community-based organizations in Sudan a year ago, right after the aid cuts were announced. He also shares insights about how changes to global health and humanitarian aid financing impact our teams, our patients, and communities already suffering from abuse and neglect. 


The Humanitarian Lens is a podcast produced by Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières USA that looks into the world’s most urgent humanitarian emergencies through the experiences of our aid workers. 


Note: This episode was recorded on December 15, 2025. 


00:00–01:10 — How MSF responds to the changing humanitarian landscape

01:10–02:10 — Examining the impact of humanitarian aid funding cuts

02:10–08:13 — Javid’s firsthand experience of the cuts in Sudan

08:13–12:51 — How funding cuts disrupt health ecosystems where MSF works

12:51–15:00 — The changing humanitarian landscape

15:00–18:57 — The impact on HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria care

18:57–21:55 — How MSF is adapting to these global shifts

21:55–23:17 — The impact of rising healthcare costs

23:17–24:42 — The communities most affected by funding cuts

24:42–30:58 — Javid’s vision for the future of MSF

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The Humanitarian LensBy Doctors Without Borders / MSF USA