Hours after being sworn in for his second term as President of the United States, Donald Trump signed the executive order “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program”. This indefinitely and immediately suspended refugee resettlement to the United States. Thousands of families who had already had their flights confirmed were stranded, and the dreams of thousands of others were upended as a result.
Another executive order signed that day was titled, “Revaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid”. This began the dissolution of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Trump was taking a sledgehammer to humanitarianism. But while his methods were spectacular, his goal was not unique. In recent years, many major donor countries have reduced their humanitarian aid programmes while increasing funding for anti-migrant initiatives. This has happened at a time when the number of forcibly displaced people has doubled over the past decade, from an already incredible 60 million in 2014 to an estimated 123 million in 2024.
