The relationship between the USA and Zimbabwe has not always been either close or friendly, with the latter having been under American sanctions for nearly two decades. Despite this animosity, however, a huge amount of aid funding comes from the Western power into the country each year.
While Zimbabwe was once among the most vibrant and productive areas in southern Africa, the last 20 years have been incredibly difficult on the nation and its people, with a series of political and economic disasters leading to a widespread decline in living standards.
With 63 percent of households now living in poverty, US aid has proved invaluable, and with the superpower pumping an estimated $3.2 billion into the economy since it gained independence in 1980, Zimbabwe has long been reliant on this funding.
But the latest American election raises some important questions with regards to how aid policies will be affected. We take a look at what Biden’s rise to the White House might mean for Zimbabwe.
Aid under the Democrats
Source: Pixabay
Whenever a new US president is elected, it has ramifications far beyond the country’s borders. Indeed, for those regions reliant on foreign aid, it can mark significant changes, as in the case of Zimbabwe, but in this instance, this needn’t cause alarm.
Looking at the election, it’s possible that this latest result could actually benefit the country, with the Democrats traditionally taking a more expansive approach to foreign aid than their Republican counterparts.
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Certainly, if one were to bet on politics with Betfair, it would seem likely that, not only have they won this most recent vote, but that they’ll win again in 2024, with Kamala Harris and Joe Biden both considered frontrunners for the next election, with odds of 5/1 and 7/1 respectively.
Such an outcome would likely result in a more stable flow of aid into the country than if Trump and the Republicans had or were to be re-elected in Biden’s stead.
Key areas affected by aid
Source: Pixabay
With regards to the impact that sustained and generous foreign aid can have on a country like Zimbabwe, there are certain key areas that are affected. First among them is democracy and human rights, with a breakdown in these having led to the country originally being sanctioned back in 2001. While these currently remain problematic, any change for the better is unlikely without continued assistance from America and other Western powers.
NGO funding could be heavily impacted by this latest election too. According to Talent Jumo, an executive director at Katswe Sistahood, the Republicans would never have supported her organization, and its focus on sexual rights and reproductive health, if Trump had triumphed again.
Jumo explains that their pro-life agenda would almost certainly have been extrapolated to the countries receiving foreign aid too. With Biden at the head of government, however, she claims that women within the region will be better able to access sexual and reproductive services – a view other activists agree with.
The Democrats are also likely to take a more flexible approach to immigration than Trump, who had previously pledged to make visas harder for migrants to access. Biden, on the other hand, has been vocal in his dissent, stating a desire to reinforce US commitment to asylum-seekers and refugees.
It’s believed that Biden will take a more benevolent view towards HIV and AIDS funding too, with these conditions currently affecting more than 1/10th of Zimbabwe’s population.
When it comes to assessing the impact of the latest US election on aid funding within Zimbabwe, it is almost certain that a Democratic government is more likely to take an outward-facing approach than its predecessor did, to the benefit of the country and its people.
