The Trump administration’s January 2025 executive order imposing a 90-day freeze on foreign aid and its subsequent efforts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have significantly disrupted American diplomatic and humanitarian efforts in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This abrupt policy shift, framed as part of an “America First” agenda, has jeopardized regional stability, undermined U.S. credibility, and risked long-term national security interests. While bipartisan consensus has historically supported foreign aid as a critical tool for advancing U.S. strategic goals, the current administration’s approach has introduced chaos, legal challenges, and operational paralysis, with dire consequences for partners and vulnerable populations across the MENA region.
Historical Bipartisan Support for Foreign Aid
Foreign aid has long been recognized as a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy, with bipartisan leaders emphasizing its role in safeguarding national security. Figures such as Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have consistently argued that foreign assistance functions as an “insurance policy” against global instability, enabling the U.S. to address threats before they reach its shores. In 2023, Congress allocated approximately $40 billion to the State Department and USAID, representing less than 1% of the federal budget. Of this, $9.6 billion was directed to the MENA region, funding security partnerships, economic development, and humanitarian relief.
Despite this legacy of support, the Trump administration has pursued a radical overhaul of foreign aid mechanisms. By imposing sweeping stop-work orders (SWOs), terminating programs, and slashing USAID’s workforce from over 10,000 employees to a skeletal 611 staffers—with as few as 21 dedicated to the MENA region—the administration has disrupted decades of institutional expertise. Legal challenges, including federal injunctions against personnel reductions and aid freezes, have temporarily mitigated some impacts, but the broader dismantling of USAID’s infrastructure persists.
Immediate Consequences of the Aid Freeze
The immediate fallout from the freeze has been severe, particularly in conflict zones and areas reliant on U.S. humanitarian assistance. In Yemen, $340 million worth of American-grown food aid intended to alleviate famine conditions languished in ports due to bureaucratic paralysis, even after Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) intervened to reverse the suspension.
Similarly, in Sudan, U.S.-funded medical providers defied SWOs to administer life-saving care to 100 children amid an ongoing civil war. Security assistance has also faltered: in Lebanon, the suspension of equipment and training for security forces has weakened efforts to stabilize southern Lebanon under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Hezbollah.
Perhaps most alarmingly, the freeze nearly triggered a catastrophic security failure in Northeast Syria, where guards overseeing 9,500 detained Islamic State fighters abandoned their posts upon learning of the SWO. A last-minute waiver prevented a mass prison break, but the incident underscored the recklessness of the administration’s blanket approach.
Long-Term Strategic Risks
Beyond immediate crises, the aid freeze threatens to erode U.S. influence and exacerbate regional instability. Economic assistance programs critical to post-pandemic recovery and post-conflict reconstruction—such as Iraq’s rehabilitation initiatives—have ground to a halt, raising the specter of renewed violence and displacement. The disruption of VPN services funded by U.S. aid in Iran has further empowered the regime’s censorship apparatus, stifling access to independent information.
The administration’s erratic policy signals have also strained relationships with key allies. Jordan, which relies on $1.3 billion annually in U.S. security and economic aid, faces heightened instability as the freeze coincides with threats to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Jordan. Such actions risk alienating partners who view the U.S. as an increasingly unreliable actor, a perception compounded by the haphazard implementation of waivers and the firing of USAID’s inspector general amid warnings about oversight failures.
Misinformation and Legal Challenges
The administration has justified its actions by alleging widespread waste and fraud in foreign aid programs, claims often contradicted by evidence. False assertions—such as a debunked $50 million allocation for condoms in Gaza—have been deployed to legitimize the freeze, while officials like Secretary of State Rubio have accused aid organizations of “sabotage” without substantiation. Legal challenges, including a February 2025 lawsuit by USAID contractors, argue that the freeze violates congressional appropriations and contractual obligations, alleging that the administration has illegally withheld funds for work already completed.
Pathways for Reform
A more strategic approach to foreign aid reform could balance fiscal responsibility with national security priorities. Rather than imposing disruptive SWOs, the administration could collaborate with Congress to streamline programs, enhance transparency, and phase out ineffective initiatives. Engaging partner governments and aid organizations to ensure continuity in critical projects would mitigate instability and preserve U.S. credibility.
Congressional action remains essential to resolving the impasse. With a March 14 deadline looming for FY2025 appropriations, lawmakers could reaffirm foreign aid as a legislative priority and block efforts to dismantle USAID unilaterally. Bipartisan proposals, such as the “Fully Funding Our National Security Priorities Act,” exemplify the potential for consensus-driven reforms that strengthen—rather than undermine—U.S. diplomatic tools.
Conclusion
The Trump administration’s foreign aid freeze represents a radical departure from decades of bipartisan policy, prioritizing short-term political messaging over long-term strategic interests. While legitimate debates persist about optimizing aid effectiveness, the current approach has sown chaos, endangered lives, and weakened America’s global standing. Restoring foreign assistance as a pillar of U.S. statecraft will require rebuilding institutional capacity, honoring contractual and humanitarian obligations, and reaffirming commitments to partners in the MENA region and beyond.
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