As of October 1, the U.S. federal government has entered a shutdown after Congress failed to pass a new funding measure. While essential functions will continue, many program and grant administration activities are being delayed.
Here’s what that means for international humanitarian organizations who partner with government agencies through grants to deliver life-saving aid around the world:
- Grants that have already been awarded may not be paid out until the government reopens, potentially forcing reductions or suspensions of some programs.
This means that many organizations who partner with government funded programs around the world will have to rely on their own cash savings to continue to fund these projects. If the shutdown drags on and organizations run out of cash, they could be forced to reduce or shutter their programs and furlough or lay off staff until government grant payment restarts.
- New grants may not be awarded until the government reopens, potentially creating gaps in services.
This means that programs that are waiting to have their funding renewed for next year, and/or new programs that are waiting to be funded could face delays. If the government shutdown lasts for a while, there could be gaps in programming—food aid, emergency medical care, and essential medicines may not be available for a time if there’s a significant gap between last year’s funding ending and new funding beginning.
- Program coordination with U.S. agencies and embassies may be limited, potentially disrupting services.
Many organizations (including us) work closely with U.S. agencies to coordinate programs, deliver aid, and work out logistics. If that coordination is interrupted, it could cause entire programs to grind to a halt by suspending things like shipping, transportation, permissions, and other seemingly “small” parts of programming.
If the shutdown is brief, impacts should be manageable for most organizations.
However, a prolonged shutdown will create significant challenges and disrupt critical humanitarian aid programs around the world. Many organizations are still recovering from disruptions earlier this year when USAID was shut down and administration of international aid grants was moved to the State Department.
What does this mean for Medical Teams?
Fortunately, thanks to generous donors and our long-term commitment to fiscal responsibility, we are as prepared as possible for situations such as this one. We are prepared for several scenarios and will manage our funding, grants, and programming as wisely as possible.
We will always prioritize our programming to underserved communities and do everything in our power to maintain our life-saving healthcare services for people who need it most. We feel confident that we will be able to do that for some time, even if it requires sacrifices from other parts of the organization.
Is there any way to help???
- Join us in praying that congress can find a solution quickly and avoid a prolonged shut down.
- Give! Any financial support you can offer will help us navigate this period of time and ensure those we serve will still receive life-saving care. Consider becoming a monthly donor. This provides support we know we can count on and is the best way to help us keep our programming funded for as long as possible, even if this shutdown drags on.
As always, we are grateful for your continued support! Thank you for being with us through it all! We will continue to share updates as we can.