U.S. Reverses Food Aid Cuts — But Afghanistan and Yemen Still Left Behind

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By The World’s Eye News Team

Us air force, Pallet drops, Food image
U.S. Air Force delivering food supplies as part of emergency aid in war-affected regions.

CAIRO (WE) — The U.S. food aid cuts have taken a sharp turn, as the Trump administration reverses some of its recent foreign aid decisions following heavy criticism. Emergency food funding is now being restored to several countries, but two of the world’s most desperate — Afghanistan and Yemen — are still left behind.

This development comes after major backlash over sweeping cuts to the United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP) and other critical humanitarian projects. Officials say the cuts, led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, would have left millions of people without food, water, and basic medical care.

Although the U.S. has restored funding to countries like Syria, Lebanon, and Somalia, Afghanistan and Yemen — both devastated by years of war and poverty — are still facing the full weight of the cuts.

Why the U.S. Food Aid Cuts Happened?

The aid slashes were part of a larger shake-up in U.S. foreign policy. The Department of Government Efficiency, now headed by billionaire Elon Musk, has been working to reduce what it sees as wasteful government spending abroad. This includes cutting billions from USAID (the United States Agency for International Development), the main body that distributes American humanitarian aid globally.

According to reports by the Associated Press, Jeremy Lewin, a Musk associate appointed to oversee USAID’s restructuring, had ordered the termination of several international aid contracts over the weekend.

These contracts included vital funding for food assistance in more than a dozen countries, and support for programs focused on maternal health, clean water access, and care for malnourished children.

After internal pressure and media scrutiny, some of those terminations were rolled back. But not all.

What the Trump Administration Changed About Food Aid

On Tuesday, the Trump administration notified the World Food Program that some of the U.S. food aid cuts would be reversed. Two U.N. officials and two officials from USAID confirmed the decision, although they asked not to be named because they weren’t allowed to speak publicly.

USAID officials said the reversal came after a weekend of frantic lobbying by humanitarian groups and senior members of the United Nations, who urged Congress to push back against the foreign aid cuts.

In an internal note, Lewin reportedly called the incident a “miscommunication” and said he regretted the confusion. However, critics argue that the U.S. food aid cuts were intentional and would have had severe consequences if not reversed.

Countries Affected by U.S. Foreign Aid Cuts

According to U.S. officials, food and aid funding has been restored for the following countries:

The status of six other unnamed countries remains uncertain.

But Afghanistan and Yemen were explicitly left out of the restored funding — and experts are sounding the alarm.

Why the Aid Cuts Could Be a Humanitarian Disaster

Nathaniel Raymond, the director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale, warned that the situation could have “extinction-level” consequences for vulnerable populations.

“The damage they’ve already done is a potential extinction-level event for two generations of transformational improvements in how we prevent people from dying from a lack of food,” he told AP reporters.

In both Afghanistan and Yemen, the humanitarian situation is already dire. Cutting aid in these areas could push millions over the edge.

Afghanistan Faces Extreme Hunger Due to U.S. Aid Cuts

Afghanistan has been through decades of conflict, including the recent 20-year war between the U.S. and the Taliban. Now, the country is facing a perfect storm: widespread poverty, unstable politics, and a fragile economy.

On top of that, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says it will lose around $100 million in U.S. support for maternal health services and gender-based violence programs.

“The systems that keep these people alive are being turned off like a light switch,” said a former USAID partner. “There’s no backup plan.”

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U.S. Food Aid Cuts Put Millions in Yemen at Risk

Yemen is considered one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The country has been in civil war since 2014, with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels fighting a Saudi-led coalition supported by the U.S.

The conflict has stalled in recent years, but the suffering continues.

IRC’s head of global emergencies, Bob Kitchen, said the situation is heartbreaking.

“Kids who’ve already lived through so much trauma — who were finally getting help — are now being cut off,” he said. “And there’s no one else to pick up the slack.”

More Than Just Food

While food aid is the most visible aspect of this crisis, many other life-saving programs are also being cut. These include:

Much of this work is being done by local aid groups and international NGOs that depend heavily on U.S. funding.

Without that support, experts warn, there is no safety net.

What the U.S. Food Aid Cuts Mean for Global Stability

The decision to continue aid cuts in Yemen’s south is also raising alarms among security analysts. The south is controlled by the internationally recognized government — not the Houthi rebels — and has been a key area of U.S. support.

Cutting off aid there, say experts, could further destabilize the region.

“Halting aid carries significant political and security implications,” the WFP warned in a recent internal report. “It risks deepening the economic crisis and exacerbating instability.”

Last year, WFP helped more than 8.6 million people in Yemen — over a quarter of the entire population. Half of those were women and children.

A Shift in U.S. Policy

These moves reflect a broader change in how the Trump administration views foreign aid.

Past administrations, Republican and Democrat, have seen food and health aid as a way to reduce global conflict, curb migration, and counter extremism. Aid was seen not just as charity, but as smart, strategic policy.

But the current administration has taken a very different stance.

They’ve argued that USAID promotes liberal causes and that foreign aid is often wasteful. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has prioritized slashing overseas spending, regardless of the humanitarian consequences.

Experts Warn of Fallout from Trump’s Foreign Aid Cuts

Many aid groups and lawmakers are speaking out against the cuts.

“There’s no way to spin this as anything other than a devastating blow,” said a former senior USAID advisor. “Millions will suffer. Many will die. And this will damage America’s reputation around the world.”

Others point out that the U.S. had previously been the largest single donor to the World Food Program, contributing $4.5 billion last year — almost half of its total funding.

What’s Next?

While some funding has been restored, humanitarian groups say the fight isn’t over.

The World Food Program, IRC, UNFPA, and others are now scrambling to find alternative sources of funding to keep their operations running in Yemen and Afghanistan.

But it won’t be easy.

“There’s no real replacement for the U.S. when it comes to global humanitarian aid,” said Raymond of Yale. “Without that funding, the scale of suffering we’re about to see will be unimaginable.”

How You Can Help?

If you’re looking to support humanitarian efforts in Yemen or Afghanistan, here are some organizations that are actively working in the region:

You can also call or email your elected representatives and urge them to restore aid to these regions. Every voice matters.

Final Thoughts

It’s rare for the U.S. government to reverse a policy so quickly, but the backlash against the initial cuts was strong and widespread. While that pressure has brought relief to some countries, Afghanistan and Yemen remain dangerously at risk.

As Kitchen from the IRC put it: “We may look back months from now and ask ourselves why we didn’t do more. And the answer will be — because we let the system fall apart.”

For ongoing updates and in-depth reporting, visit https://theworldseye.com.

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