US foreign aid crisis puts thousands of refugee lives at risk

On 24 January, the U.S. government froze nearly all foreign assistance, abruptly halting critical humanitarian, development, and education programs. The decision has left millions of vulnerable people worldwide facing an uncertain future, with essential services suspended due to funding gaps.

Jesuit Mission Australia is responding urgently to support its partner, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), which has been forced to suspend nine vital programs across nine countries, directly impacting over 100,000 refugees. The 90-day funding freeze affects JRS initiatives in Thailand, India, Chad, Colombia, Ethiopia, Iraq, South Africa, South Sudan, and Uganda—placing over half a million of the world’s most at-risk people in limbo.

Tragically, on Friday, the U.S. Department of State Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) announced the termination of funding agreements for JRS programs in Thailand, Chad, Ethiopia, Iraq, and Uganda. This devastating decision means that five lifesaving projects serving more than 77,000 people—providing psychosocial support, education, emergency aid, and healthcare—have lost all U.S. government funding.

One of the hardest-hit programs is a large education initiative in a volatile region of eastern Chad, where JRS has been providing schooling to over 10,000 students and employing 450 teachers. Without immediate funding, many of these vulnerable children will drop out, facing an increased risk of persecution, exploitation, and trafficking.

Closer to home, in Thailand, more than 12,000 refugees—many fleeing brutal conflict in Myanmar—are suffering severe trauma. The programs offered by JRS Thailand, which provide counselling, education, and basic support, are now critically underfunded.

"More than 100,000 refugees in nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border are at risk as NGOs, including those delivering healthcare, have been forced to scale back or shut down," said Fr Joe Hampson SJ, Regional Director of JRS Asia Pacific Region and project partner of Jesuit Mission.

The global Society of Jesus, including Jesuit Mission Australia, is urgently seeking to fill the immediate funding gap to prevent irreparable harm.

"Now, more than ever, we are called to walk alongside our refugee brothers and sisters, embodying Christ’s love and ensuring they are not abandoned in their time of greatest need," said Helen Forde, CEO of Jesuit Mission.

Jesuit Mission, as part of the Xavier Network—a global coalition of Jesuit organisations working in faith to promote justice—is working alongside its partners to raise urgent funds to support JRS programs affected by the aid freeze.

“These cuts aren’t just numbers—they represent lives in limbo and lifelines on hold: children missing school, desperate parents losing income, traumatised mothers without psychosocial and medical support, and communities without access to vital care,” said Ms Forde.

Refugees cannot wait. Every day without action means more suffering. Donate now to ensure they receive the support they urgently need.