IN THE KINGDOM OF LAN XANG: USAID Policy Leaves NGOs Adrift in Laos

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Created on Monday, 03 February 2025 15:12

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By Mark Gorman
EDITOR’S NOTE: Sitkans Mark Gorman and his wife Nancy Knapp are in Vientiane, Laos, where they work in a U.S-financed nongovernmental health organization. In 2024 the Sentinel carried a series by Gorman when he was in Myanmar with an education NGO. He is a former administrator of the City and Borough of Sitka.
LUAN PRABANG, People’s Democratic Republic of Laos, February 2, 2025 – The Lao people have a proverb that dates to when their country was known as the Kingdom of a Million Elephants (Lan Xang): ”Even an elephant can fall.” It serves as a reminder that even the strongest can falter causing profound impacts on others.
Today, this proverb holds a stark resonance in Laos as the effects of President Trump’s recent actions ripple through this country.
On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14169, titled “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid.” The order enacted a 90-day suspension of U.S. foreign development assistance to assess its alignment with American interests. As of February 1, the order remains in effect, bringing abrupt disruptions to U.S.-funded programs across Laos.
Nancy and I are presently in Laos. We have spent over five years at various times in our careers working here on public health projects. We have a deep fondness for the place and the people.  The tonal harmony of the language imparts a gentleness that speaks to the quiet rhythm of the culture. The majority religion is Theravada Buddhism which aligns comfortably with the single-party Communist governance of the nation.
I am developing a five-year strategic plan for one of the many International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGO) that play a critical role in providing a range of development services in this country. This landlocked nation has great development needs.  To put this in context, in the 2024 BTI Human Development Index (HDI), which measures average achievement in key dimensions of human development such as health, education, and standard of living, Laos had a score of 0.607, placing it at 140th out of 191 countries.
Due to several reasons, I have to be vague about the specifics of my assignment.  My work has brought me in contact with several people in the international development community whose works has been profoundly impacted by President Trump’s Jan 20th Executive Order.  The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and U.S. State Department-funded programs in Laos have ceased providing services. These include:
Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Clearance: Laos remains the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world, a legacy of the Vietnam War when it endured a bombing run every nine minutes for eight years. The U.S. has been a significant contributor to UXO clearance, committing over $100 million in the past two decades. The aid suspension has disrupted these operations, leaving communities at greater risk.
Education Programs: U.S.-funded initiatives aimed at improving educational access and quality have been put on hold. These programs are essential for preparing Lao students for opportunities and improved lives.
Health Projects:  Critical programs dedicated to improving child nutrition, fighting AIDs, TB and malaria,  supporting services for the disabled, and providing medical care to families and victims of unexploded ordnance are dealing with funding halts.
Anti-Trafficking Programs: The USAID Laos Counter-Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) initiative, a seven-year program aimed at reducing vulnerability to human trafficking, has been impacted. CTIP provides awareness campaigns, vocational training, and support services for trafficking survivors, but these programs are at risk due to the funding freeze.
While the policy debate unfolds in Washington, its real-world consequences are being felt by the people of Laos. I witnessed this firsthand in an INGO office where over forty Lao staff were left wondering if they would receive their January salaries—or if they would be paid at all in the coming months. Calls and emails to responsible U.S. officials seeking clarity have gone unanswered.
For those on the ground, this isn’t about politics; it’s about survival. The Elephant has fallen, and in so doing, has impacted the most vulnerable of those who have little resilience and resources for such unnecessary and abrupt upheaval.

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