Q&A: US government funding pause and IFAW’s work

1. What is happening with US government funding, and how does it affect IFAW? 

The US government has issued stop work orders on all federally funded international aid projects while it conducts a review. This pause affects conservation and wildlife protection efforts around the world, putting at risk more than $5 million in planned IFAW work and impacting multiple projects and partner organisations across 13 countries. Without funding, critical programs that combat wildlife trafficking, protect biodiversity, and support community-led conservation efforts are in jeopardy. 

2. Why is IFAW impacted by this funding freeze? 

Wildlife are the unintended victims of these actions. While IFAW is also funded by private donations, we work closely with US government agencies to implement high-impact conservation programs. These projects protect wildlife, disrupt criminal networks involved in trafficking, and strengthen local economies. The funding pause halts these essential efforts, endangering species and communities that depend on them. 

3. What are the real-world impacts of these paused projects? 

The funding freeze has immediate and severe consequences for IFAW projects, including: 

• BLOCKS Project (Kenya), a USAID-funded project focused on biodiversity conservation, habitat restoration, and human-wildlife conflict mitigation in the Tsavo and Amboseli ecosystems. 18,000 elephants and 468 lions are at increased risk of poaching, and nearly 300,000 hectares of wildlife habitat face threats from habitat loss and degradation. 
• Confiscated Animals–Rescue and Enforcement (CARE) Project, a program that rescues and rehabilitates wildlife seized from illegal trade while training enforcement officers to combat trafficking. 250 frontline officers won’t receive wildlife crime training, and 220 confiscator kits won’t be delivered, jeopardising the welfare of seized animals. 
• PROTECT Project (Malawi and Zambia), an initiative that enhances ranger training, strengthens legal frameworks, and improves cross-border collaboration to tackle wildlife crime. Kasungu National Park’s 350 elephants are more vulnerable to poachers, and 90 rangers won’t receive critical conservation law enforcement training. 

4. Why should the US engage in international conservation? 

Wildlife trafficking and natural resource crimes are highly profitable forms of transnational organised crime; these activities fuel corruption, destabilise communities, destroy ecosystems that provide critical clean water and cropland, and threaten global security. 

Criminal networks involved in wildlife trafficking also engage in arms smuggling, drug trade, and human exploitation. By investing in conservation, the US disrupts these criminal operations, strengthens international partnerships, and helps protect biodiversity that benefits economies and ecosystems worldwide. 

5. Didn’t President Trump previously take action against wildlife trafficking? 

Yes. During his first term, President Trump signed an Executive Order on Transnational Organized Crime, which recognized wildlife trafficking as a threat to public safety and national security. By supporting conservation and anti-trafficking efforts, the US government has played a critical role in disrupting criminal networks that harm wildlife and communities. The current funding pause contradicts these earlier commitments and weakens global enforcement against illegal wildlife trade. 

6. How does conservation funding impact the US economy? 

Conservation efforts support industries like tourism, outdoor recreation, sustainable forestry, and sustainable agriculture, which generate billions of dollars annually and create jobs. Additionally, healthy ecosystems provide critical resources like clean water and airable land, and critically, they act as buffers against zoonotic disease outbreaks, protecting public health and US agricultural industries. Investing in conservation is not just about protecting wildlife—it’s about securing economic and environmental stability. 

7. How does the funding freeze affect communities and livelihoods? 

The funding freeze doesn’t just impact wildlife—it affects people who rely on conservation efforts for their income and safety. In Kenya, over 13,000 individuals undergoing IFAW-led economic empowerment programs will be left without support. In Kasungu National Park, IFAW will not be able to provide training to 12 investigators, prosecutors, and magistrates, making it harder to prosecute wildlife criminals. Additionally, rangers and park personnel supported by IFAW’s work with USAID risk losing their jobs, threatening security in protected areas. 

8. What is IFAW doing to address the funding issue? 

Most importantly, we will not abandon staff, partners, and communities on the ground. This includes rangers and those who live alongside wildlife—we will continue to support them.  

IFAW is urging the Administration to allow funding to continue during the review period. We are also working with policymakers, conservation partners, and supporters to highlight the critical need for sustained investment in wildlife protection and rescue efforts. 

9. What can supporters do to help? 

Supporters can take action by: 

• Contacting your elected and appointed federal government officials, like your US Senators and US Representative, to urge the Administration to reinstate conservation funding. Outside the US, this may include your US Embassy officials. 
• Raising awareness about the impact of the funding pause. 
• Donating to IFAW to help sustain conservation efforts despite financial challenges. 

10. Where can I find more information about IFAW’s work? 

You can visit IFAW’s website for the latest updates on our conservation efforts and how we are responding to the funding pause. 

Read more about what the funding pause means for wildlife and how USAID affects national parks and conservation.