WILLEMSTAD – Curaçaoan non-profit Salú pa Tur, a vital provider of primary healthcare for undocumented migrants on the island, is among the organizations hardest hit by recent U.S. aid cuts. The sudden halt in funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has thrown the future of several community programs into question—just as demand for their services continues to rise.
Salú pa Tur, which offers medical assistance to individuals without access to the regular healthcare system, received a one-time emergency grant from the Curaçao government to help maintain operations. The Dutch government also made a modest contribution in 2024, but has now made clear it does not intend to step in further to fill the financial gap left by the United States.
State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Zsolt Szabó confirmed in a written statement to Parliament this week that it is up to the governments of Curaçao, Aruba, and Sint Maarten to find long-term solutions to the loss of U.S. funding. While he acknowledged the essential work carried out by organizations like Salú pa Tur, he insisted that "the primary responsibility for replacing external funding lies with the autonomous countries."
This stance has sparked concern among healthcare advocates and civil society leaders who warn that without sustained funding, services for the most vulnerable populations—including undocumented migrants, asylum seekers, and stateless individuals—could collapse.
Salú pa Tur operates in a highly sensitive space, offering care that often fills a gap left by the formal system. With the Venezuelan migrant population still significant on the island, and limited access to legal status or public services for many, the organization plays a crucial role in preventing humanitarian crises at the local level.
The Dutch government has said it is willing to provide technical support to help NGOs pursue alternative funding—such as EU grants—through the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). However, such processes are complex and time-consuming, and there is no guarantee of success.
Despite the financial uncertainty, Salú pa Tur has continued to operate. Its staff and volunteers remain committed to delivering healthcare to those who would otherwise go without. But without a new source of long-term funding, the organization may soon be forced to scale back or shut down some of its programs.
Curaçao's government has so far taken limited steps to address the broader financial gap created by the USAID withdrawal. With no clear safety net from either The Hague or Washington, local organizations are now left to navigate the fallout largely on their own.
As one volunteer at Salú pa Tur put it, “We’re not just losing money—we’re losing the ability to care for people who have nowhere else to turn.”
