Excerpt: “On January 20, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order for an immediate 90-day pause on U.S. foreign assistance pending a review of all programs. As a result, most State and USAID foreign assistance programs in Syria and Iraq came to a halt. Some programs, particularly those that provide life-saving humanitarian assistance, continued under a waiver. As of the end of the quarter, it was unclear how many assistance programs in Syria and Iraq had been terminated. While some State and USAID offices provided information about the status of individual programs, others declined citing the pending issuance of the foreign assistance review final report. During the assistance pause, the U.S.-funded implementer that manages al-Hol and Roj camps temporarily suspended activities and withdrew the camps’ administrative staff. The implementer resumed operations a few days later under a waiver, and the camps remained relatively calm. Meanwhile, the assistance pause and terminations of USAID programming further increased pressure on Iraq to repatriate its nationals from the camps. More than 1,500 households moved to the Jeddah 1 transit camp in Iraq. The United States continued to urge other countries to expeditiously repatriate their displaced and detained nationals who remain in the region.” (footnotes omitted)
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