The 90-day USAID funding freeze is wreaking havoc on Afghanistan, a country that relied on the U.S. for approximately 62% of its basic services in the early-to-mid 2000s.
The U.S. is still by far the largest donor to Afghanistan, making almost $21 billion available to the country since it withdrew its military forces in 2021. In 2024 alone, the U.S. aid agency pledged $280 million to the World Food Programme in the country.
Now — as a result of the stop-work order and funding freeze on USAID — Afghanistan is struggling to keep hospitals running and schools open. Its currency has risen from 70 Afghanis against the US dollar to 81.5 since the stop-work order was issued last week.