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Trump administration moves to restore some terminated foreign aid programs, sources say

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce on Tuesday told reporters that the United States had concerns that WFP funding for Yemen and Afghanistan was benefiting the Houthis and the Islamic Emirate.

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President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday moved to reinstate at least six recently canceled U.S. foreign aid programs for emergency food assistance, six sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The quick reversal of decisions made just days ago underscored the rapid-fire nature of Trump’s cuts to foreign aid. That has led to programs being cut, restored then cut again, disrupting international humanitarian operations.

USAID Acting Deputy Administrator Jeremy Lewin, who has previously been identified as a member of billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, asked staff in an internal email to reverse the terminations.

He asked to restore awards to the World Food Programme in Lebanon, Syria, Somalia, Jordan, Iraq and Ecuador, five sources familiar with the matter said.

The administration has also resumed four awards to the International Organization for Migration in the Pacific region, two sources familiar with the matter said.

“Sorry for all the back and forth on awards,” Lewin said on Tuesday in the internal email seen by Reuters. “There are a lot of stakeholders and we need to do better about balancing these competing interests — that’s my fault and I take responsibility,” he added.

Reuters reported on Monday that the Trump administration had ended life-saving aid programs for more than a dozen countries including Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia and Syria, totaling over $1.3 billion.

According to Stand Up For Aid, an advocacy group of current and former U.S. officials, WFP contracts canceled on Lewin’s orders last weekend for Lebanon, Syria, Somalia and Jordan totaled more than $463 million.

Many of the terminated programs had been granted waivers by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio following an initial round of cuts to foreign aid programs. The State Department said those did not reflect a final decision.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment about restoring the awards.

The decision to restore some aid followed pressure from inside the administration and from Congress, two sources said.

The World Food Programme said on Monday that the U.S. notified the organization it was eliminating emergency food assistance funding in 14 countries, warning: “If implemented, this could amount to a death sentence for millions of people facing extreme hunger and starvation.”

The U.S. did not restore aid to Islamic Emirate-ruled Afghanistan and to Yemen, most of which is controlled by Islamist militants of the Iran-backed Houthi movement. Washington has been the largest aid donor to both countries, which have suffered years of devastating war.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce on Tuesday told reporters that the United States had concerns that WFP funding for Yemen and Afghanistan was benefiting the Houthis and the Islamic Emirate.

“There were a few programs that were cut in other countries that were not meant to be cut that have been rolled back and put into place,” Bruce said, adding that the administration remains committed to foreign aid.

Among the cuts over the weekend were $169.8 million for the WFP in Somalia, covering food assistance, nutrition for malnourished babies and children and humanitarian air support. In Syria, $111 million was cut from WFP food assistance.

The cuts have been the latest piece of the Trump administration’s drive to dismantle USAID, the main U.S. humanitarian aid agency.

The administration has canceled billions of dollars in foreign aid since the Republican president began his second term on January 20 in an overhaul that officials described as marked by chaos and confusion.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats on Tuesday wrote a letter to Rubio regarding plans to restructure the State Department, including by folding in USAID, which they said was “unconstitutional, illegal, unjustified, damaging, and inefficient.”

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CSTO says Tajik-Afghan border security still ‘complicated’

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly stated that Afghan territory will not be used against any country.

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The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) says the security situation along the Tajik-Afghan border remains “complicated,” citing ongoing concerns over militant activity in northern Afghanistan.

Viktor Vasilyev, chairman of the CSTO Permanent Council, said this week that instability in Central Asia continues to stem from threats posed by militants operating near Afghanistan’s northern border region.

Speaking at a forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, Vasilyev said member states plan to intensify joint efforts to counter militant groups that, according to Tajik and Chinese authorities, have carried out attacks on Chinese-backed business interests and other sporadic cross-border incidents affecting Tajikistan. Afghanistan’s ruling authorities have expressed regret over such incidents, but he said the security situation remains fragile in remote border areas.

“Despite Russia’s and several Central Asian countries’ efforts to establish contacts with the current authorities in Kabul, the security situation remains complicated,” Vasilyev said, calling it the CSTO’s main concern in the region, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.

He added that the bloc plans to expand coordinated operations, including efforts to “neutralize militant and extremist groups” that he said continue to accumulate along Afghanistan’s northern borders. He also described reported shelling of Tajik territory from Afghanistan as a “particular concern.”

The CSTO, which includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Armenia, has previously supported Tajikistan through military equipment and joint exercises aimed at strengthening border security along its 1,200-kilometer frontier with Afghanistan.

However, Armenia has suspended its participation in the alliance, citing dissatisfaction over CSTO inaction during past conflicts with Azerbaijan, and has instead pursued closer ties with Europe and the United States. The issue of Armenia’s status is expected to be discussed at the ongoing forum in St. Petersburg.

Vasilyev, a veteran Russian Foreign Ministry official, assumed the rotating CSTO chairmanship in January and is set to remain in the position until the end of 2026.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly stated that Afghan territory will not be used against any country and has assured that it will not allow any armed group to operate from Afghan soil against neighboring states.

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TAPI project sees rapid progress in Afghanistan

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Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate says work on the TAPI Pipeline is advancing steadily, with major infrastructure activities continuing at a rapid pace across the country.

Zabihullah Mujahid said around 130 kilometers of the route have been leveled so far, while 91 kilometers of pipeline have already been installed.

He said the total distance from the border of Turkmenistan to the Herat Industrial Park covers 153 kilometers, where the pipeline will extend.

According to Mujahid, completion of the project is expected to bring major economic transformation to Herat, with thousands of factories projected to become operational.

The 1,814-kilometer pipeline, including 816 kilometers passing through Afghanistan to Pakistan, is designed to transport 33 billion cubic meters of gas annually. Work on the Afghan section began in September 2024, with 52 percent completed so far, while the Herat section is expected to be finished by the end of 2026.

Once operational, the project is expected to provide Afghanistan with millions of dollars in annual transit revenue, while the country will also receive 500 million cubic meters of gas initially, increasing to 1 billion and later 1.5 billion cubic meters in future phases.

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Ashura observed across Afghanistan with calls for unity and justice

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Afghanistan marked the 10th of Muharram, the Day of Ashura, with religious ceremonies held across Kabul and several other provinces, as thousands of mourners gathered to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Ashura commemorates one of the most significant events in Islamic history, when Imam Hussain (RA) and 72 of his loyal companions were martyred in the Battle of Karbala. The occasion is observed annually across the Muslim world through prayers, mourning ceremonies, and acts of charity.

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai described Ashura as an opportunity to strengthen national unity and solidarity. In a message marking the occasion, he expressed hope that Afghans would draw inspiration from the spiritual significance of Ashura and work together for the

progress, prosperity, and development of a united Afghanistan enriched by knowledge and education.

Religious scholars also emphasized that the uprising of Imam Hussain (RA) continues to symbolize justice, sacrifice, unity, and resistance against oppression, carrying a timeless message for Muslim societies and humanity as a whole.

Meanwhile, officials of the Islamic Emirate attending Ashura commemorations said all necessary measures had been taken to ensure religious ceremonies were held peacefully and securely across the country.

The Ministry of Interior also confirmed that extensive security measures had been implemented for Ashura, with large numbers of security personnel deployed to protect mourners, mosques, Hussainiyas, and other venues hosting commemorative events.

In Kabul and several other provinces, Ashura ceremonies concluded peacefully as worshippers observed the occasion through prayers, religious gatherings, and the distribution of food and charity in memory of the martyrs of Karbala.

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