US aid freeze puts HIV-positive orphans in Kenya at risk as medical supplies dwindle

A U.S. aid freeze is threatening the lives of HIV-positive orphans at Nyumbani Children’s Home in Nairobi. Two-year-old Evans and 100 other children rely on free antiretroviral drugs — which stop the HIV virus from replicating in the body — from USAID. But President Donald Trump’s directive suspending foreign aid puts their future in jeopardy. The Kenyan government warns that crucial medical supplies may last only six months. Nyumbani has already scaled back programs due to previous funding cuts. Advocates fear a resurgence of HIV-related deaths. “Something needs to be done urgently,” says Executive Director Judith Wamboye, as caregivers brace for a crisis that could leave vulnerable children without life-saving medication.