In Jordan’s second-largest city, the blazing sun now scorches an idle construction site—once destined to become Safed High School, a much-needed institution for 1,500 students. The site fell silent in January when construction abruptly stopped following a global freeze on U.S. aid ordered by President Donald Trump just days into his second term. The freeze triggered widespread layoffs within hours, underscoring the immediate shockwaves felt across the country.
This decision—part of Trump’s $40 billion rollback in foreign aid—has not only halted development projects in Jordan but is reshaping the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. Jordan, along with Egypt and Israel, remains one of the region’s largest recipients of U.S. assistance. In 2023 alone, USAID disbursed nearly $4 billion across these countries.
A Strategic Ally Left Vulnerable
Jordan, home to one of the region’s earliest Palestinian refugee camps and a cornerstone U.S. ally since the 1950s, received over $1.5 billion last year in support of its healthcare, energy, and refugee programs. Aid now suspended, Jordan’s fragile economy is further rattled by Trump’s imposition of a sudden 20% tariff on Jordanian exports to the U.S., worth over $3 billion in 2023.
“This isn’t just budget tightening—it’s destabilization,” said Kelly Petillo of the European Council on Foreign Relations. She warned that this policy shift jeopardizes the U.S.’s strategic hold in the Levant, particularly in counterterrorism.
Nearly 90% of USAID contracts have been affected, according to internal documents reviewed by POLITICO. The impact is being felt across Iraq, Syria, and Yemen—countries still recovering from war and extremism. Programs central to restoring stability and democracy, including election monitoring and civil services, have either been suspended or terminated.
Europe Pulls Back Too
The U.S. is not alone. European countries are also slashing aid budgets. The UK has cut its overseas assistance to the lowest level in over two decades, diverting funds to defense. France has reduced its aid budget by 35%, while the Netherlands has adopted a “Netherlands-first” approach. Germany is now reassessing its funding levels following a historic increase in military spending.
“What we’re witnessing is a collapse of the global aid framework,” said Delaney Simon of the International Crisis Group. “It’s not just about budget lines. It’s about the entire architecture of humanitarian operations on the ground.”
Healthcare at Risk in Jordan
In Amman, one of the city’s few free clinics is already feeling the effects. Staff layoffs have reduced critical services including gynecology, obstetrics, rehabilitation, and support for survivors of violence.
“We’ve been here for more than 10 years,” said Abu al-Haija, the clinic’s deputy director. “We made promises to women and children—especially refugees—that we would be here for them. Now, with these cuts, it feels like we lied.”
The clinic, like many institutions, depended on funding from USAID and European donors. Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and the UK are all pulling back, creating a cascading effect across Jordan’s public health infrastructure.
Ripple Effects Across a Fragile Region
Beyond Jordan, the cuts are jeopardizing security operations in northeastern Syria, where tens of thousands of people—including ISIS detainees—are held in camps under dire conditions. The loss of funding compromises not only humanitarian care but the stability of these sites, prompting concerns among European security agencies.
In Iraq, aid-supported reintegration programs for those displaced by ISIS are at risk of collapse. In Yemen, where civil conflict rages on, over 4.3% of the GDP came from U.S. aid in 2023. With that lifeline fraying, food insecurity and displacement are expected to rise.
“These countries will become safe havens for armed groups,” warned Charlotte Slente of the Danish Refugee Council. “Without support, they will spiral further into instability.”
Migration Pressures Return
The effects are not limited to the Middle East. Analysts warn of a new wave of migration to Europe—similar to the 2015 crisis when over one million Syrians crossed into the EU.
Many European governments, however, are using this as a justification to abandon aid altogether. “There’s a growing narrative that aid doesn’t work because people keep coming,” said Anita Käppeli of the Center for Global Development. “But cutting aid is the wrong lesson.”
The Bigger Price of Abandonment
Despite continued military assistance to Jordan, the withdrawal of economic and humanitarian support will have far-reaching consequences. In 2023, U.S. assistance made up more than 2% of Jordan’s GDP, and even more in Syria and Yemen.
A senior USAID official, speaking anonymously, warned: “Less hope, more disease. Children dying from preventable causes. Education disrupted. This is how extremism festers.”
The skeletal remains of Safed High School now stand as a symbol—not just of halted construction—but of a collapsing aid architecture that once underpinned America’s influence in the Middle East. Without renewed commitment, the human and geopolitical costs may prove far greater than any fiscal saving.
