logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
25m 21s

A First Hand View Of What Happens When A...

Global Dispatches
About this episode

Effectively and efficiently responding to humanitarian crises is one of the things the United Nations and its partners in the NGO community do best. Over the years, they have gotten very good at saving lives. This system is now under unprecedented strain due to the Trump administration's decision to freeze foreign aid and dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development. These cuts are being felt across hundreds of NGOs. So, for today's episode, I wanted to dig deep into what these funding cuts mean for one long-standing humanitarian organization: the NGO Relief International.

I'm joined by Relief International's CEO, Craig Redmond, who explains the difficult choices his organization is making as it responds to massive funding cuts. He details how these cuts are impacting not only the people Relief International serves and the organization itself, but also the broader global humanitarian system—of which NGOs like Relief International are a key part.

Up next
Jul 27
What Is the Future of US-China Relations? | Ambassador Nicholas Burns, Live from the Aspen Security Forum
Nicholas Burns is a veteran diplomat who served as President Biden's ambassador to China during a crucial period in U.S.-China relations. We caught up at the Aspen Security Forum in July for a wide-ranging conversation about Chinese foreign policy, including Beijing's evolving di ... Show More
19m 19s
Jul 20
How Ukraine Turned the Tide of the War | Live from the Aspen Security Forum
In recent months, Ukraine has clearly seized the initiative against Russia. Its impressive use of drones and autonomous weapons systems has put Russia on the defensive, while strikes on Russian energy infrastructure are causing gasoline shortages for ordinary Russians. I speak wi ... Show More
20m 41s
Jun 8
Introducing: "World's Toughest Job" -- A new podcast about the Next UN Secretary General
I want to recommend a new podcast I think our audience will like: it's called World's Toughest Job, from Foreign Policy magazine and the United Nations Foundation. And today, I'm sharing with you the debut episode. Between now and the end of this year, 193 member states will elec ... Show More
39m 40s
Recommended Episodes
May 2025
UN News Today 01 May 2025
UN Humanitarian Coordinator denounces impact of sweeping aid cutsIsrael urged to allow lifesaving aid into GazaUN rights chief fears more bloodshed in El Fasher, Sudan 
3m 58s
Feb 2025
What’s at stake for Africa if Trump shuts down USAID?
One person living with HIV has described how these cut would change their life and said "please tell the American government that this is a death trap for us. If I don’t get my tablets next month and the following month, how much longer will I have to live?”USAID—the United State ... Show More
20m 6s
Feb 2025
UN News Today 07 February 2025
The DR Congo crisis must be stopped, or the emergency will only get worse, the UN human rights chief tells a special session of the Human Rights CouncilUNAIDS warns that US funding cuts are already impacting HIV prevention globallyChildren’s bodies have become battlegrounds in Ha ... Show More
5m 23s
Apr 2025
UN News Today 30 April 2025
Impact of funding cuts is that millions will die, warns UN aid chiefSudan violence continues to displace thousands who need everything: OCHAHaiti: UNICEF deploys mobile health clinics amid spiralling gang 
3m 57s
Mar 2025
USAID Cuts Imperiling Lives
First: Now that USAID is gutted, we hear from frontline humanitarian David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee. Then: The Netflix hit sparking an important conversation: Adolescence—it’s about young minds, male rage, and the dangers of social media. Star of the ... Show More
40m 39s
Jan 2024
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths
After 100 days of the Israel-Hamas war, the toll on civilians keeps getting worse. The World Health Organization warns that Gaza could be on the brink of famine. Meanwhile the United Nations is desperately trying to plug the aid gap, in Ukraine and in other war zones. UN Humanita ... Show More
58m 57s
Feb 2024
The U.N. Scandal Threatening Crucial Aid to Gaza
<p>Late last month, an explosive allegation that workers from a crucial U.N. relief agency in Gaza had taken part in the Oct. 7 attacks stunned the world and prompted major donors, including the United States, to suspend funding.<br />Patrick Kingsley, the Jerusalem bureau chief ... Show More
31m 43s