The UN Food Agency Calls US Fund Reduction Could Be A 'Died Law' For Millions Of People

Illustration of WFP services. (Source: WFP)

JAKARTA - The United Nations (UN) World Food Program (WFP) warned Monday that stopping US funding for emergency food aid in 14 countries "could be a death penalty for millions of people facing extreme hunger and hunger."

"We have contacted the US government for clarification and urged ongoing support for these life-saving programs," the WFP said in a post on social media X.

WFP chief Cindy McCain urged world leaders to "consider" the consequences. In an article on X, he said the cuts in funds "will deepen hunger, trigger instability, and make the world much more unsafe."

The US funding cuts are one of a number of aid programs suspended for more than a dozen countries - including Somalia and Syria - over the weekend by the US State Department and International Development Agency, according to Sarah Charles, former head of the USAID humanitarian affairs bureau, and nine sources, including six US officials currently involved in humanitarian aid who speak on condition of anonymity.

The total amount of aid cuts is more than $1.3 billion, according to figures given by Stand Up For Aid, a grassroots advocacy group.

That amount includes 562 million US dollars for Afghanistan, 107 million US dollars for Yemen, 170 million US dollars for Somalia, 237 million US dollars for Syria and 12 million for Gaza US dollars.

A State Department spokesman referred Reuters to the White House when asked about the termination of the program. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the UN was trying to get details about the canceled contract.

The cuts are the latest part of President Trump's administration's efforts to dissolve USAID, the US's main humanitarian aid agency. His administration has canceled a billion-dollar life-saving program since the Republican president began his second term on January 20.

Many of the discontinued programs have been given relief by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio from cutting overseas aid programs carried out by the Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk since February, three sources said.

"All remaining USAID grants to Afghanistan have been stopped," said one source.

Officials said the canceled funds included assistance for the UN agency that helps women and girls, WFP and at least six non-governmental organizations.

Assistance for Afghans provided by the State Department's Population, Refugees and Migration Bureau has also been suspended, five sources said.

This weekend's funding cuts also include 169.8 million US dollars for WFP in Somalia, which includes food aid, nutrition for infants and children who are malnourished, as well as humanitarian air support. In Syria, 111 million US dollars were deducted from WFP food aid.

The discontinuation will exacerbate the world's humanitarian crisis, putting millions of people desperate at the risk of starvation, and could trigger a new wave of illegal immigration, according to several sources and experts.

Nearly 23 million people, more than half of whom are children, need help in Afghanistan, according to the United Nations.

The WFP said it provided emergency food and cash for nearly 12 million Afghans last year, prioritizing aid for women and girls facing "extreme capacity."

"Afghan aid is very careful aimed at the most life-saving activities," said Charles, who left USAID in January 2024.

"This will be devastating for those most vulnerable in Afghanistan who are under Taliban rule," he added.