Overview
- The Trump administration has terminated key USAID contracts, ending emergency food, water, and medical aid programs in Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, and other conflict-affected regions.
- The cuts target the last remaining U.S.-funded humanitarian programs, including those previously exempted from budget reductions by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- Jeremy Lewin, a senior official in Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, directed the cancellations as part of broader efforts to dismantle USAID.
- The World Food Program and other organizations warn the terminations could lead to widespread starvation and exacerbate existing humanitarian crises, affecting millions of vulnerable people.
- The abrupt decision undermines prior commitments and has drawn criticism for its potential to destabilize regions and fuel extremism.