Across Ukraine, humanitarian and educational groups are facing a severe funding crisis after President Donald Trump’s administration temporarily froze U.S. development aid. The decision abruptly halted numerous community programs, leaving organizations scrambling to stay afloat. One such organization, GoGlobal, was forced to cancel an educational retreat for 150 teenagers from frontline regions of Sumy and Kharkiv. Its director, Tetiana Kovryga, said the move was heartbreaking, as her team had prepared everything and now must pause several projects and consider staff cuts.

GoGlobal’s struggle is echoed by many Ukrainian NGOs that rely on U.S. assistance distributed through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, USAID has delivered billions in aid—$2.6 billion in humanitarian relief, $5 billion in development programs, and over $30 billion in direct budgetary support. These funds have sustained essential projects in education, healthcare, energy, and veterans’ services—sectors that Ukraine’s war-stretched government can no longer fully finance.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has assured the public that military support remains unaffected but warned that the freeze jeopardizes “critically important projects” underpinning the country’s stability. Kyiv is now exploring ways to redirect limited internal funds and negotiate fresh support from European partners.

The funding pause has immediate human consequences. Veteran Hub, which supports thousands of war veterans and their families, had to suspend one of its centers and pause salaries after U.S. funding stopped. Though private donations temporarily revived its hotline, the organization fears long-term collapse without restored foreign aid.

As Ukraine battles economic instability, inflation, and labor shortages, NGOs are caught in a race against time. The suspension of U.S. development aid highlights how deeply Ukraine’s social fabric depends on external support—and how fragile that lifeline has become.

Más información en Reuters.