Over the past seven years, I’ve had the privilege of heading the Glocal Program for International Development, an international MA Program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During this time, we have hosted hundreds of students from around the world and provided them with tools to work directly with disadvantaged communities and co-develop sustainable, positive interventions to improve lives. Through these efforts, they have helped empower communities in need, fostering development and contributing to a better world.

Through my work at Glocal, I have witnessed firsthand the complexities and challenges of international development. This perspective makes it even more concerning when large-scale interventions, such as USAID, face abrupt changes that disrupt essential services.

In its first week, the Trump Administration swiftly suspended all USAID activities worldwide. This decision was accompanied by harsh and unfounded accusations against USAID on Trump’s and Musk’s social media platforms.

The impact on global aid

This unprecedented and unilateral act has caused chaos in the realm of international development. Since its establishment in the 1960s, USAID has played a significant, reliable, albeit bureaucratic, role in humanitarian aid and international development. Beyond directly or indirectly employing some 18,000 U.S. citizens worldwide, USAID provides some........

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