USAID

× Clear Filters
52 Articles
A man hangs wet socks in the colors of the Colombian flag as a symbolic act to commemorate National Human Rights Day in Bogotá on September 9, 2025. (Photo by RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images)

Who Will Stand Up for Human Rights in 2026 – and How?

The deterioration in human rights in 2025 heightens the risks for defenders going forward, all worsened by donors' deep funding cuts, especially those of the United States.
The U.S. Capitol Building against a sunset

Nine Stories That Deserved More Attention in 2025 – and Might Shape 2026

What stories or topics merited more attention in 2025, and which might inform law and policy conversations in 2026?
People lay flowers and set candles to memorial

Trump Administration’s Proposed Cuts to Accountability for Mass Atrocities Undermine Its Own Strategic Goals

International accountability efforts are not a misguided moral crusade – they are a core instrument of U.S. national power.
This photo taken on September 10, 2024 shows people walking though a market area being rebuilt in Lashio in Myanmar's northern Shan state, after the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) seized the town from Myanmar's military in August. (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Why the Trump Administration Should Engage on Burma Now – and How

Washington must decide: whether it will watch history unfold to its detriment, or help write history to the benefit of both Burma/Myanmar and the United States?
The Just Security Podcast logo

The Just Security Podcast: What’s Next for U.S. Diplomacy and Foreign Assistance?

Expert panel considers the proposed restructuring of the State Department and unpacks the implications for U.S. foreign policy, what's at stake, and what lies ahead.
The three diplomats stand behind a desk where they have been signing the agreement. Behind them are a portrait on a blue wall and an array of two each of their three flags.

Secretary of State Rubio’s Reorganization Plan Could Offer a Chance to Rescue U.S. Foreign Assistance — If He’s Smart About It

After months demolishing foreign aid, the Trump administration could still regroup for something worthy of America’s values and interests.
Proposed New Org Chart, Department of State

What Just Happened: The Trump Administration’s Reorganization of the State Department – and How We Got Here

The Trump administration’s proposed reorganization of the State Department is not just a reshuffle. It’s a realignment of diplomatic priorities that seems set to constrain…
The photo shows a red Chinese flag with gold stars flying over a disaster scene -- a building partly collapsed and leaning, with a pile of rubble at its base and a crowd of rescue workers and civilians around it.

America’s Absence in Myanmar’s Early Earthquake Response: A Moral and Strategic Failure

US foreign aid gutting hampers humanitarian response to Myanmar's earthquake toll, leaving gaps filled by China for its strategic gain.
A doctor carries supplies to a small clinic in Madagascar.

Foreign Aid Cuts Compound Harmful Impact of US Reimposition of ‘Mexico City Policy’

Through a combination of aid cuts and the reimposition of the “Mexico City policy," conflict survivors are likely to lose access to life-saving assistance and other sexual and…
Russell Vought sits at his Senate Confirmation Hearing

The Trump Administration Cannot Use Award Terms and Conditions to Impound Funds

The Impoundment Control Act may prohibit agencies from freezing or terminating funding based on changing policy priorities.
A poster of the US Agency for International Development, USAID, is stuck to a light pole

The Disastrous Costs of the Foreign Aid Freeze on US Interests in the Middle East and North Africa

The Trump administration's dismantling of USAID poses significant threats to security in the Middle East and North Africa.
The photo shows the silhouette of a man on a motorbike in the foreground riding past a faded yellowish concrete building in the background with a red banner across it with yellow Chinese lettering across it.

Freezing Support to Democracy and Human Rights Activists Undermines US Interests

Ending aid for democracy and human rights struggles inflicts long-term harm on American security and prosperity.
1-12 of 52 items

DON'T MISS A THING. Stay up to date with Just Security curated newsletters: