Lesotho has been in the news a lot in 2025. Despite being one of the smallest and most impoverished countries in the world, new U.S. tariffs of a staggering 50% will soon wreak havoc. The mountain kingdom is already reeling from the aid cuts, much of which was providing life saving health care.
Watch the video message below which includes an on-the-ground update from Help Lesotho Executive Director, Kate Lambert, and program alumni Dr. Tlhabi. Kate, recorded the first part of her vlog on Friday evening (hence the reference to ‘yesterday’s tariffs’). A lengthy power-cut interrupted her upload.
Because Help Lesotho remains focused on the children and youth our programs reach, we couldn’t help but include some fun content at the end. Please enjoy!
For more context on the newly imposed tariffs and funding cuts in Lesotho, see the links below:
- How jeans and diamonds pushed Lesotho to the top of Trump’s tariffs list (BBC)
- 1,500 Lesotho health workers sent home after US aid suspended (EATG.org)
- ‘Only job I know’: tiny Lesotho’s garment workers reel from Trump’s 50% tariffs (The Guardian)
- Trump’s biggest tariffs on tiny Lesotho. Here’s what to know about the African kingdom (CBS)
- Lesotho hardest hit by latest US tariffs (DW News – Youtube)
- So…..nobody’s heard of Lesotho? Let’s fix that! (Help Lesotho blog)
