Malawi has been one of the countries hit hardest by the Trump administration's funding cuts and tariff hikes. The stop-work orders issued by Washington in January have frozen several of the country’s key sectors, including health, education and infrastructure. As Malawians vote in the 2025 presidential elections, FRANCE 24 embarks on a journey across the country to assess just how much US policies have impacted one of Africa’s poorest nations. Tom Canetti, Caroline Dumay and Stefan Carstens report.
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with 70 percent of the population living below the international poverty line. It is therefore heavily dependent on foreign aid. Over 13 percent of Malawi’s national budget came from the United States – a country that slashed such funding in January after US President Donald Trump took office.
The funding cuts have devastated key sectors, especially those supported by the United Nations and non-governmental organisations. Malawi’s overcrowded Dzaleka Refugee Camp is on the verge of collapse. Clinics serving the LGBT community have shut down or are operating with skeleton staff. Researchers have had their scholarships terminated overnight. Meanwhile, Malawi’s exporters have been hit with US tariffs that make their products uncompetitive.
During the 2025 presidential election campaign, FRANCE 24’s Tom Canetti, Caroline Dumay, and Stefan Carstens spoke with Malawians left isolated in an Africa that has had to adapt overnight to a more self-sufficient reality.
English (US) · 