A group of European disability organisations and services have called on the European Union, in a statement led by the European Disability Forum and the European Association of Service Providers and published on Monday 10 February, to take action to fund disability support organisations hit by major US government budget cuts.
The funds allocated by USAID (United States Agency for International Development), which supported essential programmes in countries such as Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Albania, are particularly affected.
Over the past three years, this American aid has funded initiatives such as medical devices for disabled war veterans, rehabilitation programmes for disabled veterans and vocational training for the disabled.
As these projects have been suspended as a result of these budget cuts, the declaration calls on the European Union to step up emergency funding, support inclusive programmes and ensure the inclusion of disability in all humanitarian aid mechanisms. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)