Media: The US Will Resume at Least Six Previously Canceled Foreign Aid Programs
According to消息人士 quoted by Reuters, the United States will resume at least six previously canceled aid projects of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Lebanon, Syria, Somalia, Jordan, Iraq, and Ecuador.
On Monday, Reuters reported, citing nine消息 sources including six US officials, that the Trump administration is cutting off most of the remaining US aid to Afghanistan and Yemen. According to former USAID humanitarian affairs bureau director Sarah Charles and other sources, the US State Department and USAID have decided over the weekend to terminate the above-mentioned and other projects in more than a dozen countries.
"The Trump administration... on Tuesday decided to restore at least six recently canceled US foreign aid programs. Jeremy Riney, acting deputy administrator of USAID and also an official of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)... in an email requested staff to rescind the terminated programs. He requested restoring... the programs in Lebanon, Syria, Somalia, Jordan, Iraq, and Ecuador."
The消息 sources said this decision was made under pressure from the US government and Congress, following a statement from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) that closing these programs could "sentence millions to death".
Earlier reports indicated that the US Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk was dedicated to shutting down the US Agency for International Development. On February 2, Musk referred to USAID as a "criminal organization" and stated it should be shut down. The next day, he said that Trump agreed to close the agency. US President Trump appointed Acting Secretary of State Rubio as acting administrator of USAID, and Rubio informed Congress to reassess international development aid projects to determine whether each project aligns with government policy objectives, as USAID spending was "damaging" national interests. He said that after the reassessment, aid would be unfrozen or increased in certain cases.
USAID officially announced on February 24 that the Trump administration had begun a large-scale downsizing, which could result in thousands of job losses. For employees working overseas, USAID plans to organize a fully funded flight program. Before returning to their home country, all laid-off employees can use the agency's systems, resources, and diplomatic channels.
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1828887622086659/
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