The Trump administration has released $5.3 billion in previously frozen foreign aid, but the vast majority is allocated to security and counternarcotics programs rather than humanitarian relief, according to a recent list of exemptions (via Reuters).
While military aid to Israel and Egypt was swiftly approved, exemptions for humanitarian programs have been scarce. The funding list reveals that $4.1 billion will support arms sales and military assistance, aligning aid with Trump's "America First" strategy.
Meanwhile, USAID programs received less than $100 million—just a fraction of their pre-freeze annual budget, with critics arguing that sidelining humanitarian efforts in favor of security could lead to long-term instability and migration crises.