WASHINGTON, D.C — The Trump administration has reinstated $169.8 million in emergency food aid to Somalia, reversing a sudden cut that had sparked alarm among humanitarian organizations and local communities, source told Reuters. 

The funding supports vital programs run by the World Food Programme (WFP), including nutrition for malnourished children, food relief, and humanitarian air support.

Somalia was one of several countries affected by abrupt aid suspensions last weekend, part of a broader shake-up in U.S. foreign assistance under President Donald Trump.

The rapid reversal just days later highlights growing internal pushback — and the chaos surrounding the administration’s approach to humanitarian aid.

According to six sources familiar with the matter, at least six aid programs were reinstated, including food assistance in Somalia, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Ecuador.

USAID Acting Deputy Administrator Jeremy Lewin, a former member of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, communicated the decision in an internal email.

Internal chaos and reversals at USAID

“Sorry for all the back and forth on awards,” Lewin wrote in the message seen by Reuters. “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.”

According to Stand Up For Aid, a group of current and former U.S. officials, the canceled WFP contracts for Lebanon, Syria, Somalia, and Jordan were worth over $463 million. Somalia’s share included critical support for vulnerable populations facing widespread food insecurity.

Reuters reported earlier this week that the Trump administration had halted aid programs in more than a dozen countries — including Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Syria — amounting to more than $1.3 billion in cuts.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously granted some of these programs waivers following an earlier round of budget slashes, but many were suddenly scrapped over the weekend.

Humanitarian agencies reacted with concern. On Monday, the WFP warned that cutting emergency food assistance in 14 countries could amount to a “death sentence” for millions of people already living in extreme hunger.

Foreign aid with caveats

The State Department did not immediately comment on the restored awards, but spokesperson Tammy Bruce later told reporters that the administration remains committed to foreign aid — with caveats.

She said the U.S. is withholding funding from Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and Houthi-controlled Yemen, citing concerns that aid may benefit armed groups.

“There were a few programs that were cut in other countries that were not meant to be cut — those have been rolled back and put into place,” Bruce said.

Still, critics say the wider pattern is troubling. The Trump administration has significantly cut USAID, the leading agency responsible for managing U.S. humanitarian programs.

Billions of dollars have been pulled since Trump began his second term in January, with decisions often characterized by abrupt changes and internal confusion.

Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voiced concern in a letter to Secretary Rubio, criticizing the plan to restructure the State Department — including folding in USAID — as “unconstitutional, illegal, unjustified, damaging, and inefficient.”

For now, Somalia’s emergency food programs are back in place. But the uncertainty surrounding U.S. aid remains — leaving millions of people caught in the middle.