CNN
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The Trump administration has terminated a majority of its funding for a key Syrian civil and humanitarian organization, the White Helmets, according to internal documents and the organization.
The funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for the White Helmets’ firefighting, search and rescue, and community resilience work was terminated as part of the administration’s sweeping cancelation of foreign aid contracts. A smaller contract from the US State Department to support accountability work remains active.
The move to cut millions of dollars in USAID funding to the White Helmets comes as Syria is in a period of significant transition after the fall of the Assad regime. It is a decision that the organization hopes the US government will reconsider.
The White Helmets, also known as Syria Civil Defense, was founded by volunteers in 2013 to respond to the catastrophic impacts of Syria’s civil war. In the years since, they have provided emergency medical services, civilian evacuations, search and rescue missions, and investigative work – often under extremely dangerous circumstances. They were vilified and targeted by the now-ousted Syrian regime and its allies, including Russia, but have long been backed by the United States.
Farouq Habib, the deputy general manager of the organization, said they have had a “great partnership” with USAID – the organization’s largest donor – for nearly 10 years, and are very proud of the partnership and the support they’ve received from the American people.
“US support during this transitional phase of Syrian history is very important as we pass a new era and we need to continue to fill the vacuum in the absence of a functional, strong government,” he told CNN.
The impact of the cut in funding “is devastating,” Habib said, noting that “the needs have dramatically increased.”
“After the fall of the Assad regime, the White Helmets expanded from what was previously opposition-controlled areas in North Syria to almost all of Syria. So we used to serve 5 million civilians in the past, now we work for 20 million,” Habib explained.
“We’re trying to defer the crisis by reallocating funds from other European donors, but definitely it will not be enough to fund the total budget for the year,” he said.
The White Helmets were formally notified that the USAID contract was terminated. However, they are in communication with USAID and are hopeful the termination will be reversed, particularly given the life-saving nature of their work.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has claimed that the administration would not cut funding for life-saving programs.
In a letter to Congress, a USAID official said that as of March 21, “a total of 5,341 awards have been terminated.” An accompanying list of foreign assistance awards listed a nearly $30 million contract for the White Helmets as being terminated. A portion money from that contract, which was listed as beginning in February 2023, has already been spent. A separate list of State Department awards showed a $1.4 million contact for the White Helmets as still being active.
A State Department spokesperson told CNN that “State Department assistance for the White Helmets in Syria has resumed.”
Asked about the termination of the USAID award, the spokesperson said that “after a thorough review of nearly 6,500 operational and programming awards to ensure foreign assistance works to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous, USAID has terminated more than 5,300 grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements.”
“Each award terminated was reviewed individually for alignment with Agency and Administration priorities, and terminations were executed where Secretary Rubio determined the award was inconsistent with the national interest or agency policy priorities,” they said.
