The abrupt suspension of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) programme under President Donald Trump means Sri Lanka “may have to go for alternatives”, according to Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa, as controversy over the projects it funded continues.
Trump’s executive order on 20 January 2025 effectively froze all foreign aid disbursed through USAID, shutting down its operations and slashing staff numbers from 10,000 to fewer than 300. The move is part of a broader effort to restructure U.S. foreign assistance, with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by billionaire Elon Musk, leading the charge to eliminate what it calls “wasteful spending and corruption.”
Among the many projects affected by this decision is Sri Lanka’s Social Cohesion and Reconciliation (SCORE) programme, which was allocated $900,000 and came to an end in 2024. Much of the controversy surrounding USAID’s operations in Sri Lanka has stemmed from the Media Empowerment for a Democratic Sri Lanka (MEND) project, implemented by the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) with USAID funding.
It was allocated $7.9 million to train Sri Lankan journalists on gender sensitivity, digital literacy, investigative journalism, and newsroom development. While expanding gender inclusivity was only one component of the programme, it became a focal point of criticism, with some accusing the initiative of promoting LGBTQ+ activism.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk publicly criticised the programme, calling it a "crazy waste" of taxpayers’ money, while former MP Wimal Weerawansa alleged that the funds were part of a broader conspiracy to influence Sri Lankan youth.
“They promoted various kinds of change, especially change related to the promotion of the LGBTQ+ community among the youth. $7.9 million is a massive sum,” Weerawansa claimed at a press briefing.
He further alleged that USAID’s funding was part of a global population control conspiracy, referencing billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, and insisted that the Sri Lankan government must investigate which media outlets received USAID grants.
“Bill Gates once said that the world was overpopulated, and therefore needs to be controlled by creating disease," he said. To cure diseases, vaccines are required.”
“Not only have people of this country been bought, but also political leaders have been funded through these initiatives that were designed to destroy our culture.”
The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has also entered the debate, with MP Namal Rajapaksa calling for a full-scale investigation into USAID’s financial activities in Sri Lanka. “Its funds were used to cause chaos and destabilisation in other countries under the pretext of humanitarian aid,” Rajapaksa posted on X (formerly Twitter). He demanded that Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that benefited from USAID funding provide detailed reports on how the money was spent.
Reacting to the suspension of funding, Sri Lankan Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa downplayed the impact of the USAID freeze, stating, “It’s Trump’s decision, isn’t it? I can comment if it is a decision by our government. Let’s see the outcome of this decision.”
Despite concerns over the future of these projects, Jayatissa insisted that Sri Lanka would find new funding sources.
“If they say they cannot give, we may have to go for alternatives. The country does not run only through USAID (funds). We will somehow find funds to carry forward the good works.”
However, he did not elaborate on what these alternative sources might be.
