Virridy Leaders Quoted in CNN Coverage of US Foreign Aid Freeze

Virridy is committed to advancing innovative solutions that help sustain critical water and climate resilience initiatives. As USAID’s ongoing funding freeze disrupts essential services worldwide, Virridy believes that carbon finance and digital monitoring can play a role in keeping vital programs operational, helping to reduce long-term reliance on emergency, humanitarian and development aid. This is why Virridy’s work in Kenya, Rwanda, Madagascar, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, and beyond remains more urgent than ever.

As the global development community grapples with the consequences of these funding cuts, CNN has quoted Virridy CEO Evan Thomas and Geospatial Scientist Denis Muthike in the past months, covering the ripple effects on water security, food systems, and humanitarian response.

In a February 4, 2025 article, “How the US foreign aid freeze is intensifying humanitarian crises across the globe,” Evan Thomas – speaking in his capacity as a professor of global engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder – described the risks to groundwater access in Kenya, where over a million people rely on boreholes originally funded through USAID programs. With funding on hold, essential maintenance work is at risk, jeopardizing access to drinking water in drought-prone regions and increasing security concerns as communities face mounting resource stress.

A second article, published on March 9, 2025, “A US-run system alerts the world to famines. It’s gone dark after Trump slashed foreign aid,” focused on the abrupt shutdown of FEWS NET, the US government’s primary famine early warning system. This network has been essential for forecasting food insecurity in more than 30 countries. Evan Thomas spoke to the broader consequences of shutting down critical global monitoring systems, emphasizing how disrupting water and food security programs can drive displacement and instability. In the same article, Virridy’s Denis Muthike – speaking as an assistant research professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder – highlighted how the loss of decades of water and climate data could undermine global food security efforts for years to come.

While these challenges are profound, Virridy remains focused on deploying scalable, market-based solutions to strengthen long-term water resilience. By integrating carbon finance and digital monitoring into clean drinking water supply programs, we can help sustain critical services, improve resource management, and build local capacity, even in times of uncertainty. As the development sector navigates this shifting landscape, Virridy will continue working to ensure that communities have access to safe water and climate-stable futures.