US may restore some aid programs globally
Illustrative photo: The Donald Trump administration may resume funding for several food aid programs (Getty Images)
The Trump administration has decided to reinstate at least six recently canceled US foreign aid programs that provide emergency food assistance, according to Reuters.
Sources familiar with the matter have described the Trump administration’s abrupt reversal of foreign aid decisions as an impulsive move, underlining the chaotic nature of the aid cuts initiated by the former president. These decisions, made just days apart, led to the cancellation, restoration, and eventual re-cancellation of key programs, disrupting the operations of international humanitarian missions.
Jeremy Levin, acting deputy administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), who was previously identified as a member of the Department of Government Efficiency under Elon Musk, urged staff in an internal email to reverse the decision, halting several programs. Levin specifically called for the reinstatement of US grants to the World Food Program (WFP) in Lebanon, Syria, Somalia, Jordan, Iraq, and Ecuador.
According to agency sources, the administration also reinstated funding for four programs run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the Pacific region.
"Sorry for all the back and forth on awards," Lewin said on Tuesday in the internal email seen by Reuters. "There are a lot of stakeholders, and we need to do better about balancing these competing interests — that’s my fault, and I take responsibility," he added.
On April 7, the Trump administration suspended vital humanitarian assistance to over a dozen countries, including Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Syria, amounting to more than $1.3 billion in cuts. Human rights group Stand Up For Aid, which includes former and current US officials, reported that over the weekend alone, Levin ordered the cancellation of WFP contracts in Lebanon, Syria, Somalia, and Jordan, totaling over $463 million.
Many of the programs had previously received exemptions from Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the first round of foreign aid reductions. The State Department clarified that these exemptions were not final decisions.
'Death sentence'
According to two sources, the decision to reinstate some aid was made under pressure from both the Trump administration and Congress. On April 7, the US informed the WFP about the suspension of emergency food aid in 14 countries. In response, the organization warned that such a move "could amount to a death sentence for millions of people facing extreme hunger and starvation."
The US did not restore aid to Afghanistan, under Taliban control, or Yemen, largely controlled by Houthi rebels backed by Iran. Washington had been the largest donor of humanitarian aid to both war-torn countries.
On April 8, State Department spokeswoman Tami Bruce expressed concern that US funding to WFP in Afghanistan and Yemen could inadvertently benefit the Houthi rebels and the Taliban.
"There were a few programs that were cut in other countries that were not meant to be cut that have been rolled back and put into place," Bruce said, adding that the administration remains committed to foreign aid.
Among the cuts over the past weekend was $169.8 million for food assistance, nutrition for malnourished infants and children, and humanitarian air support in Somalia. In Syria, $111 million in WFP funding for food aid was slashed.
These reductions marked yet another step in the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle USAID, the US government’s main agency for providing humanitarian aid.
Since Donald Trump’s second presidential term began on January 20, the administration has canceled billions in foreign aid, part of a reorganization that officials have described as chaotic and uncertain.
On April 8, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats sent a letter to Marco Rubio about plans to reorganize the State Department and incorporate USAID, calling these intentions "unconstitutional, illegal, unjustified, damaging, and inefficient."
USAID suspension and reorganization
On January 20, the first day of his presidency, Donald Trump ordered a halt to all US foreign financial assistance. This led to the suspension of USAID’s operations worldwide and the disruption of humanitarian programs to other countries.
USAID was later disbanded, with its employees either placed on leave or terminated. The agency ceased issuing 80% of the grants it had previously administered.
Starting July 1, some of USAID’s functions will be transferred to the US State Department.
