Aid Programs Undermined as USAID Faces Dismantlement

Several programs designed to reduce violence, instability, and extremism worsened by global warming are in jeopardy as a broader attempt is made to dismantle the primary American aid agency, USAID. One project supported communities in Niger by managing water stations in a region frequently disrupted by conflicts over scarce water resources, while another focused on restoring water-treatment facilities in Basra, Iraq, a port city where unreliable water supplies have fueled anti-government unrest.

Moreover, USAID’s long-established Famine Early Warning Systems Network provided crucial flood forecasting that enabled aid workers to prepare for severe floods in war-torn South Sudan. With the future of these initiatives now hanging in the balance, the Trump administration’s push to shut down the agency, complemented by a federal court’s temporary restraining order, has halted much of the on-the-ground work. As former U.S. intelligence official Erin Sikorsky noted, the investments made in these programs serve as proactive measures to mitigate future risks, underscoring the importance of addressing challenges before they escalate.