The recent cuts in U.S. foreign aid have sent shockwaves through humanitarian efforts worldwide, including those carried out by Catholic organizations such as Caritas, the social arm of the Catholic Church.

 The impact of the suspension of USAID on Caritas

The decision by the Trump Administration in February to slash over 90% of USAID’s foreign aid contracts—amounting to a staggering $60 billion—has created a significant funding void.

The move has jeopardized critical collaborations with U.N. agencies like the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)  and the World Food Program (WFP), both of which heavily rely on U.S. funding to deliver food and humanitarian relief.

Caritas Lebanon

Among the countries most impacted is Lebanon, reeling from multiple crises, and now the military conflict with Israel in the south.

As explained to OSV News by Father Michel Abboud, president of Caritas Lebanon, the funding loss has had a domino effect, reducing Caritas’ ability to provide essential services such as education, legal counseling, health care, and psychosocial support, especially to Syrian refugees and poor Lebanese.

Already, 10 per cent of Caritas Lebanon’s activities tied to the UNHCR have been scaled back. This disruption not only limits aid but has also led to job losses among the staff, further straining an already suffering Lebanese economy.

With 1.5 million Syrian refugees officially registered (and likely many more unregistered), the societal and economic pressures have become unsustainable. On a positive note, he welcomed Washington’s decision on April 10 to reinstate some cancelled U.S. foreign aid programs for emergency food assistance provided by the WFP.  

Caritas Jordan

Meanwhile, in Jordan, Caritas has also been hit hard. Wael Suleiman, Caritas Jordan’s general director, revealed to OSV News that UNHCR funding to his organization has been slashed by 70%. Despite the gravity of the situation, he maintains that there are still reasons for hope “Anybody can close a door. But God can open 100 doors afterwards,” he said.

US Church's concerns over budget cuts in social expenditure

Proposed draconian budget cuts in federal expenditure are also expected to affect many American citizens, especially the most vulnerable. The U.S. Congress is currently advancing a major budget reconciliation package, which, among other things, proposes $880 billion in social and healthcare-related cuts.

In a joint statement released on 15 April, Archbishop Borys Gudziak, chairman of the U.S. Bihops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development,   the president of the Catholic Health Association, and the  president of Catholic Charities USA, expressed their concern over the proposed measures and pleaded with lawmakers to ensure that the package provides relief to low-income families and doesn’t place “additional burdens on those who are struggling.”

Based on the Church's social teaching and its first-hand experience in reaching out to the poor, the statement underscored the moral imperative to preserve and strengthen essential safety-net programs such as Medicaid, SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), the Child Tax Credit (CTC), that are essential to helping many families meet basic human needs.

Tax cuts “that largely favor wealthier persons,” the statement insists,  should not come at the expense of programs that support those in need.