A merchant ship full of wheat set sail from Oregon earlier this month, headed towards the port of Aden in Yemen. But when that carrier eventually arrives at its intended destination in mid-May, there will be no one authorized to receive the wheat, store it and ensure that it gets distributed to the people of who need it, according to a report published by CNN news network.
The uncertain fate of this particular wheat carrier – which was described to CNN by two sources familiar with the situation who declined to speak on record – is the direct result of the stunning decimation of the US Agency for International Development during President Donald Trump’s second term.
The agency has canceled lifesaving humanitarian aid contracts with the United Nations’ World Food Programme, including those for Yemen and Afghanistan.
Unless those contracts were to be reinstated, the WFP does not have authority – let alone the funding – to do anything with the wheat that is set to arrive in Yemen next month, those sources said.
CNN previously reported that while USAID had reversed course and restored some funding for WFP programs including those in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Ecuador and Somalia, contracts for Afghanistan and Yemen aid remained cut.
The drastic cuts to USAID and its funding over the past few months have wreaked havoc on the global humanitarian aid ecosystem, with scores of companies and organizations getting their contracts canceled or receiving delayed or partial payments.
Even for those groups that still have active USAID contracts, their futures remain deeply uncertain. While top Trump administration officials had initially said lifesaving humanitarian programs would not be on the chopping block, the decision earlier this month to terminate USAID funding for emergency food assistance stunned humanitarian workers.
At the time, WFP said in a statement that it was “deeply concerned” by the notifications of terminated funding.
“If implemented, this could amount to a death sentence for millions of people facing extreme hunger and starvation. We are in contact with the US administration to seek clarification and to urge for continued support for these life-saving programmes,” the statement said. “WFP is grateful for the contributions it receives from the US and all its donors.”
The WFP estimates that around half – 17 million people – of Yemen’s population are food insecure. The Yemeni people have been devastated by a years long civil war that started with Houthi rebels storming the country’s capital of Sanaa.
Last week, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the administration’s decision to terminate Yemen awards was in part “based on concern that the funding was benefitting terrorist groups,” including the Houthis.
“These concerns with UN funding have been documented and discussed for years, which is why USAID paused all food assistance in northern Yemen through WFP, specifically to mitigate any interference by the Houthis,” Bruce said.