USAID reverses course and restores some humanitarian aid contracts after WFP warning of possible deadly consequences

(CNN) — The US Agency for International Development (USAID) reversed course Tuesday and restored several of the World Food Programme’s lifesaving humanitarian aid contracts after canceling them over the weekend, a source familiar told CNN.

The reversal comes after the World Food Programme warned Monday that the cuts could “amount to a death sentence for millions of people facing extreme hunger and starvation.” The UN agency said it had received notice from the Trump administration “indicating that funding for emergency food assistance in 14 countries has been terminated.”

According to the source familiar, USAID restored its funding for WFP programs in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Ecuador and Somalia.

Jeremy Lewin, a top USAID official affiliated with the Department of Government Efficiency, requested in an email Tuesday that the terminations be rescinded.

“Sorry for all the back and forth on awards,” he wrote in the email, which was seen by CNN. “There are a lot of stakeholders and we need to do better about balancing these competing interests – that’s my fault and I take responsibility.”

A State Department spokesperson confirmed that the WFP programs had been restored, telling CNN that “while they have been reinstated, the State Department and USAID intend to work with WFP to modify awards in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Ecuador, and Somalia to better align with Administration priorities.”

Four contracts supporting the work of the International Organization for Migration in the Pacific region were also restored, the source said.

It is not the first time the agency hollowed out by DOGE has reversed course after terminating a contract for lifesaving aid. The latest reversal, first reported by Reuters, was alluded to by State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce at a State Department briefing.

“There were a few programs that were cut in other countries that were not meant to be cut, that have been rolled back and put into place,” she said without providing details on the restored programs.

The US has not “backed away from our commitments to providing lifesaving food aid,” she said Tuesday.

CNN has reached out to the State Department for comment.

Still, many of USAID’s humanitarian aid funding remains cut, including all of its remaining contracts for Afghanistan and Yemen aid.

Bruce said Tuesday that “85% of previously existing USAID programs with the World Food Programme worldwide remain active and ongoing,” but noted that “a limited number” were terminated.

Those included programs in Afghanistan and Yemen, she confirmed, saying they were canceled “through an executive order that was issued based on concern that the funding was benefiting terrorist groups, including the Houthis and the Taliban.”

A spokesperson for the International Rescue Committee told CNN that USAID canceled funding for their work in Afghanistan, which was “a lifeline for the estimated 23 million people in humanitarian need.” The spokesperson said their work addressed acute food insecurity and some of the severest forms of malnutrition as well as sanitation services and services for women and children.

USAID also canceled contracts with WFP for food assistance and other services in Somalia, Niger, and Jordan, the official said. They were among scores of contracts for lifesaving work – much of which had previously been cleared to continue – that were terminated by USAID last weekend.

Bruce said other awards “were terminated because they provided cash-based assistance, which the administration is moving away from given concerns about misuse and lack of appropriate accountability for American taxpayers here at home.”

Humanitarian officials have decried the latest round of cuts and warned they could have life or death consequences.

“This sudden withdrawal of vital humanitarian support will have devastating consequences for millions of people,” said Tom Hart, President and CEO of InterAction, an alliance of non-governmental organizations.

“We call on the administration to reverse these decisions and collaborate with implementing NGOs on a responsible approach to life-saving assistance,” he said. “We also urge Congress to assert its oversight authority to ensure America’s humanitarian commitments are fulfilled.”

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

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