Dominos Falling in International Aid

Written for Sahar Education by Blaire Curley

Since the inauguration of President Trump to office he and his administration have spared no time in committing political actions to cultivate their vision for America. They have moved swiftly in carrying out executive orders and committing unprecedented political action on behalf of their political aspirations. One of these political actions that has had severe consequences on an international level is the freezing of US governmental aid.

This comes as a result of the sentiment carried by Trump that “the United States is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people” (aljazeera.com). This decision has had severe repercussions on the lives of those across the world who find themselves in a homeland that is riddled with violence and instability, with minimal access to the resources needed to survive.

This is the sad truth for Afghanistan, which in 2021 found itself at the feet of the Taliban regime which has become the de facto leadership. An extremist religious group that has made surviving for Afghan citizens no easy feat. This is why previously, Afghan citizens relied in part on USAID (United States Agency for International Development) which would provide “assistance and the distribution of resources such as food, shelter, healthcare services, etc” for those in need (usaid.gov now unavailable).

However, due to President Trump’s new Foreign Aid freeze, Afghan citizens have found themselves dependent on other international actors to help meet their basic needs, but even this is not sufficient. The WFP “in Afghanistan can only feed half the millions of Afghans in need after cuts in international aid and an impending freeze in the U.S. Foreign funding”. (reuters.com).

The staggering number of those who are unable to get their daily dietary needs met within the country is “6 million people who are probably eating one or two meals a day and it's just bread and tea” (reuters.com).

The Foreign Aid cut has increased the radical transformation of the way of life for Afghan citizens since the Taliban’s occupation of power. Such a reality can embed in observers of these circumstances a hopeless and powerless feeling. But, this is far from the truth.

SAHAR is supported by private foundations like GlobalGiving, and Women Strong International, and by outside donors. SAHAR is dedicated to assisting in helping create stability for those in Afghanistan. Specifically, women and girls who are most impacted by the country’s social and political policies. We work to help the women in our programs and distribute educational curricula to empower and strengthen young women. You too can join us on this mission, through donations that will help improve and elevate the lives of Afghan women and girls.

Donate today to Threads of Hope where $65 a month will support a woman to feed her family (through a monthly stipend) and empower her to build a business for sustained economic stability.