Trump "hits" the UN food agency - FAO suspends projects after stopping funding of 300 million USD per year
Aid projects in crisis-hit countries from Afghanistan to the Horn of Africa have been suspended and staff cut after US President Donald Trump "froze" hundreds of millions in annual funding for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The cuts are expected to deepen food insecurity in many regions already suffering from climate shocks, conflict and economic instability, aid experts warn. The cessation of FAO agricultural support could have long-term consequences, making vulnerable communities even more dependent on emergency food aid.
"All project activities must be suspended with immediate effect," an internal organization memo said.
The guidance instructs staff to halt new financial commitments and suspend U.S. government-funded activities. As a result, field offices have already begun cutting contracts, freezing recruitment, and delaying key agricultural and food security programs.
The cuts mirror moves already hitting other UN agencies such as the World Food Programme, which has seen office closures and drastic reductions in rations around the world.
“This is not just an FAO problem, every humanitarian agency is affected in some way,” said a field worker. “It’s catastrophic. The US is one of the biggest donors, contributing tens of billions a year. If that money disappears overnight, there is not a single aid group that will not feel the pinch. In places like Afghanistan and Sudan, there is no one else providing aid on this scale. This means millions could fall back into crisis-level hunger.”
The Rome-based agency, which oversees global food security and agriculture, received $307 million from the U.S. last year, about 14 percent of its budget. The bulk of the funding supports emergency and resilience programs in countries such as Afghanistan, South Sudan and Somalia, where millions of people face acute food insecurity due to war, climate disasters and economic instability.
Meanwhile, cuts to the World Food Program, which could result in billions of dollars in lost funding, have led to the closure of its office in southern Africa and the halving of rations for refugees in Bangladesh.
The two agencies often work together, as FAO provides technical assistance, policy support and promotes agricultural practices to help farmers grow food, while the World Food Programme distributes products in times of crisis.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was moving away from multilateral aid programs that "did not serve core national interests."
The Food Agency instructs country offices to “cease all external communication” regarding U.S.-funded programs. Multiple employees, both at headquarters in Rome and in the field, declined to speak on the record, citing fear of retaliation.
The FAO is just one victim of the broader collapse of U.S. foreign aid. The Trump administration has already shut down 83 percent of USAID programs, canceling 5,200 contracts and laying off thousands of aid workers. Previously, the agency had distributed the bulk of the U.S.’s $60 billion foreign aid budget.
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