The Unlikely Rise of Nepal's Tech Economy The news that Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency had slashed $329 million in humanitarian aid to Nepal, leaving 30,000 people without jobs and compromising educational opportunities for thousands more, might have seemed like a devastating blow.
However, this setback has not hindered Nepal's economic prospects.
Stuti Basnyet, who served as acting program office director for USAID in Nepal since 2024, remembers the months following the cuts as a period of "deep grievance" among aid workers and Nepalis alike.