The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is set to restore at least six emergency food aid programs that were recently canceled, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Acting Deputy Administrator of USAID, Jeremy Lewin, has reportedly requested the reinstatement of funding for the World Food Program (WFP) in Lebanon, Syria, Somalia, Jordan, Iraq, and Ecuador.
In addition, four grants from the International Organization for Migration in the Pacific region have been reinstated. “I apologize for the confusion regarding payments. We need to better consider the interests of all parties – this is my fault, and I take full responsibility,” Lewin wrote in an internal email to staff, which was reviewed by Reuters.
This move comes after the Trump administration’s controversial decision to cut aid programs in over a dozen countries, including Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Syria, amounting to more than $1.3 billion. According to human rights group Stand Up For Aid, which includes current and former U.S. officials, the cancellations of WFP contracts for Lebanon, Syria, Somalia, and Jordan totaled more than $463 million.
The cuts, which were initiated by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, were part of a broader reduction in foreign aid programs. However, the State Department has clarified that the decision was not final.
Among the reductions were significant cuts to aid for Somalia, including $169.8 million for food aid, nutrition for malnourished children, and humanitarian air support. In Syria, food aid from the WFP was reduced by $111 million.
