Trump’s freeze on US aid rings alarm bells from Thailand to Ukraine

Field hospitals in Thai refugee camps, landmine removal in conflict areas, and medications to aid millions afflicted by illnesses like HIV are among the initiatives at risk as President Donald Trump considers significant reductions to U.S. foreign assistance.

Last week, Trump suspended development assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development for 90 days to evaluate its alignment with his “America First” policy, raising concerns among aid organizations globally that rely on U.S. generosity. Humanitarian groups and U.N. agencies warn they may encounter severe limitations on their capacity to provide food, shelter, and healthcare if the freeze is made permanent.

The United States is by a significant margin the largest giver of global humanitarian assistance, providing an estimated $13.9 billion in 2024, which represents 42% of all aid monitored by the United Nations.

Clinics in camps in Thailand housing approximately 100,000 refugees from Myanmar were directed to close following the U.S. funding freeze to the International Rescue Committee, as stated by a senior aid worker. Washington indicated it would offer waivers to the freeze in specific sectors, including emergency food aid, as per a memo reviewed by Reuters. The government of Bangladesh announced in a statement that the U.S. has approved a waiver for emergency food assistance for over a million Rohingya refugees residing in Bangladesh.

However, the exemption is not applicable to additional humanitarian programs. A relief worker from Bangladesh stated that groups focused on shelter, for instance, would be unable to purchase new supplies for constructing and repairing homes for refugees. The reductions will also impact the availability of essential medications for HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis worldwide, which millions rely on, as indicated in another memo.

On Tuesday, contractors and collaborators associated with USAID started getting memos instructing them to cease work right away. The reductions will impact organizations assisting 6.5 million orphans and at-risk children living with HIV across 23 nations, Gawande stated.

The Country Director of the World Food Program for Afghanistan, Hsiao-Wei Lee, expressed to Reuters her worries regarding the freeze, noting that the WFP was already receiving only around half the necessary aid for Afghanistan, with more than 6 million individuals living on “only bread and tea”.

Last year, the WFP obtained $4.7 billion from the U.S., which represented 54% of its financial support, as reported by the U.N. Certain NGOs are turning to public donations to cover the deficit resulting from the freeze. The Freeland Foundation, a trafficking prevention organization in Bangkok, has launched a GoFundMe to navigate the 90-day freeze.

“The newly formed Trump administration unexpectedly halted all foreign aid, including our wildlife conservation initiatives,” the group stated two days ago. “Poachers and traffickers will not suspend their activities.” “Could you assist us in supporting our frontline teams for 90 days until the freeze is removed?”

The directive to halt funding has plunged USAID missions and their partners into turmoil, leaving many organizations uncertain about whether to terminate staff, begin selling assets like vehicles, or instruct employees to go on unpaid leave, as per an insider at the agency. According to the individual, USAID is prohibited from engaging with implementing partners other than to inform them that funding has been halted.

“These are individuals we collaborate with every day,” the source remarked. “We are unable to communicate with them any longer.” Other organizations indicated they would not be impacted by the halt. Matthew Saltmarsh, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, stated that the agency has not received funding from USAID.

In 2023, the United States was the top donor for landmine action, providing $310 million, which accounted for 39% of all global assistance, as reported by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. Syria, Myanmar, Ukraine, and Afghanistan are some of the nations where unexploded mines cause the highest number of fatalities. The State Department announced on Sunday that the U.S. government should realign its priorities to concentrate on American national interests while managing taxpayer funds.