Trump Cuts $562 Million In Afghanistan Aid, UN Warns Of Dire Consequences
The Trump administration has eliminated the remaining $562 million in aid to Afghanistan, a decision termed by the United Nations as potentially catastrophic.
The Trump administration has eliminated the remaining $562 million in aid to Afghanistan, a decision termed by the United Nations as potentially catastrophic.
The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) warned the move “could amount to a death sentence for millions of people facing extreme hunger and starvation.”
According to US officials, the aid cuts could worsen humanitarian crises and increase instability in a country already reeling from years of conflict under Taliban rule. Officials caution that deteriorating conditions could push vulnerable populations toward extremist groups such as ISIS-Khorasan.
This funding reduction is part of a broader strategy that has seen over $1.3 billion in US humanitarian aid slashed globally. Cuts include $237 million from Syria, $170 million from Somalia, $107 million from Yemen, and $12 million from Gaza. These nations are grappling with ongoing conflicts and humanitarian emergencies, compounded by the loss of crucial U.S. support.
Sarah Charles, former head of the US Agency for International Development’s Office of Humanitarian Assistance, and nine other sources — including six current officials — confirmed the cuts to Reuters. “Every remaining USAID award for Afghanistan was terminated,” a source said, with funding to the WFP, a UN agency supporting Afghan women and girls, and at least six NGOs halted.
Five sources also stated that US aid to Afghan refugees, managed by the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, has been discontinued.
The UN estimates that 23 million people in Afghanistan, over half of them children, require humanitarian assistance. The WFP reported it reached nearly 12 million Afghans last year, with a focus on women and girls experiencing “extreme hunger.”
In 2024, the US has contributed $206 million to Afghan aid efforts, down from $736 million in 2023, when it was the largest donor. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has also cancelled a $24 million grant for reproductive health services in Afghanistan and a $17 million grant for Syria.
Cindy McCain, executive director of the WFP, said on X (formerly Twitter), “Cutting aid will deepen hunger, fuel instability, and make the world far less safe.”
In addition to the humanitarian fallout, the cessation of aid may destabilise Afghanistan’s economy. Humanitarian dollars flowing through UN agencies have helped stabilise the Afghan currency, and US officials warn the absence of such support could increase economic turmoil and migration pressures.
