RASC News Agency: The United States is reportedly preparing to reinstate several foreign aid programs that were halted under the Trump administration’s broad reassessment of overseas assistance. Multiple informed sources revealed to Reuters on Tuesday, April 8, that at least six major humanitarian initiatives are under review for reactivation an indication of mounting internal and international pressure on Washington to reconsider its current aid posture. According to these sources, Jeremy Levin, the Acting Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has issued an internal directive instructing agency personnel to begin the process of restoring the suspended programs. The targeted initiatives include World Food Programme (WFP) assistance for crisis-stricken nations such as Lebanon, Syria, Somalia, Jordan, Iraq, and Ecuador.
While the WFP has previously issued dire warnings about the humanitarian consequences of halting aid to Afghanistan, the sources made no specific mention of whether assistance to the war-ravaged country would be resumed. The silence on Afghanistan is conspicuous, particularly as millions continue to suffer under the Taliban’s brutal and regressive rule. Earlier Reuters reporting confirmed that the Trump administration had suspended foreign assistance totaling approximately $1.3 billion to several conflict zones, including Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Syria. These cuts were justified under the pretext of financial accountability and security concerns particularly regarding the diversion of aid by terrorist organizations.
In his memo, Levin expressed regret over the abrupt changes to aid delivery and acknowledged the disruption caused by recent policy shifts. He emphasized the need to balance humanitarian imperatives with broader U.S. interests, and he took full responsibility for the direction USAID has recently pursued. Sources familiar with the decision-making process indicate that the partial policy reversal follows sustained pressure from within the Biden administration, as well as from congressional lawmakers and international humanitarian organizations. The World Food Programme had warned that the withdrawal of U.S. support could lead to catastrophic consequences, including famine, displacement, and destabilization in already fragile states.
Of particular concern is Afghanistan, where the WFP has reported that $562 million in food assistance was abruptly cut placing millions at immediate risk. The Taliban’s systematic exploitation of humanitarian resources has been cited as a key driver of the U.S. decision to halt aid. Officials allege that the group has diverted food supplies, appropriated financial aid, and used humanitarian access as a tool for political manipulation and consolidation of power. Tami Bruce, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, confirmed on Tuesday that Washington has officially suspended its contributions to the WFP’s operations in both Afghanistan and Yemen. She stated that the decision was driven by credible evidence showing that terrorist groups including the Taliban and the Houthi militia were profiting from the aid, undermining both the integrity of the programs and the safety of their intended beneficiaries.
Since Donald Trump’s return to the presidency in January, the United States has enacted sweeping cuts to its foreign aid commitments, redirecting billions of dollars and placing strict new conditions on assistance programs. While proponents argue these measures are necessary to prevent abuse and safeguard taxpayer money, critics warn that indiscriminate cuts risk exacerbating suffering in already volatile regions. As the world’s largest humanitarian donor reconsiders its role, the international community faces a daunting challenge: responding to escalating crises with fewer resources, while extremist regimes like the Taliban tighten their grip and manipulate aid flows to entrench their rule. The debate over aid is no longer just about money it is about the moral and geopolitical cost of abandoning the world’s most vulnerable to the mercy of terror and tyranny.
