The U.S. State Department has suspended funding for organizations that assist refugees with resettlement, employment, and other essential needs. In a letter, the department instructed these organizations to halt all activities and cancel any remaining commitments wherever possible.
Reuters, having reviewed a copy of the letter, reported that this suspension of funding is part of President Trump’s broader policy to pause refugee admissions into the U.S. for three months.
President Trump has tasked U.S. officials with assessing whether the refugee admissions program aligns with the interests of the American people during this suspension period.
The suspension order, dated Friday, January 25, has disrupted the operations of refugee-support organizations that aid in resettlement, job placement, and helping refugees adapt to life in the United States.
Sources told Reuters that these organizations are still evaluating the impact of the funding suspension on their activities. The move has made it harder to provide essential support to refugees already in the U.S.
John Slocum, Executive Director of the U.S. Refugee Council, a coalition of relief groups, called the funding suspension “unimaginably cruel” and urged President Trump to reverse the decision.
The suspension of U.S. refugee admissions and related funding has had a particularly severe impact on Afghan refugees. Thousands of Afghan migrants awaiting resettlement in the United States have faced delays in their relocation due to the policy.
The broader suspension of U.S. foreign aid, with exceptions for Egypt and Israel, has also sparked concerns about its consequences for Afghanistan. With over $3 billion in U.S. humanitarian and developmental aid to Afghanistan in the past three years, experts warn that the pause could destabilize the Afghanistan’s economy and worsen humanitarian conditions.
SOURCE : KHAAMA Press
