Trump-Era Food Aid Cuts Threaten Millions of Lives

WASHINGTON: The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is set to halt nearly all remaining aid to Afghanistan and Yemen, according to sources in the aid sector. The UN World Food Programme has warned that this move could potentially spell disaster for millions.

The funding cuts are part of a broader range of aid program terminations affecting over a dozen countries — including Somalia and Syria — announced by the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) over the weekend. This information comes from Sarah Charles, a former head at USAID’s humanitarian affairs bureau, along with eight other sources, including six current U.S. officials who requested anonymity.

Altogether, the cuts amount to more than $1.3 billion, based on calculations from Stand Up For Aid, a grassroots advocacy organization. This includes $562 million for Afghanistan, $107 million for Yemen, and $170 million for Somalia, among others.

The UN World Food Programme cautioned that the cessation of U.S. funding for essential food assistance could lead to severe hunger and starvation for millions. The organization is currently seeking more information from the Trump administration regarding the funding cuts.

In a statement shared on X, WFP chief Cindy McCain emphasized that the funding reductions would only exacerbate hunger, increase instability, and create a significantly less safe global environment.

When asked about the funding terminations, a State Department spokesperson directed inquiries to the White House, which had not yet replied to requests for comment. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated that the UN was working to gather more details on the contracts that have been canceled.

These cuts represent the latest effort by the Trump administration to dismantle USAID, the principal agency responsible for U.S. humanitarian aid. Since taking office for a second term on January 20, the Republican president has eliminated billions of dollars worth of critical aid programs.

Many of the canceled programs had previously received waivers from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, shielding them from the cuts to foreign aid initiatives ordered by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, according to three sources.

The U.S. has traditionally been the largest donor of aid to both Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and Yemen.

“All remaining USAID awards for Afghanistan have been canceled,” stated one source. Officials noted that the lost funding included support for a UN agency that aids women and girls, the WFP, and at least six NGOs.

Furthermore, assistance directed to Afghans via the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration was also terminated, as reported by five sources.

These funding cuts are expected to deepen existing humanitarian crises, placing millions at risk of starvation and potentially triggering new waves of illegal immigration, according to various sources and experts.

“Despite repeated assurances that life-saving programs would be safeguarded during the Trump administration’s ‘review’ of foreign aid, the Department of Government Efficiency enacted cuts over the weekend, impacting aid programs that Congress was told would remain intact,” stated Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

She expressed concern that the ending of food assistance would “lead to devastating consequences” and looks forward to additional comments from Rubio.