The U.N. human rights office announced on Tuesday that it has received termination notices from the U.S. government for five projects, leading to the closure of certain programs, including support for torture victims in Iraq. President Donald Trump is reducing foreign aid funding globally as part of a significant spending reorganization by the largest aid donor in the world. Details of the cuts and their impact are now unfolding. Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the U.N. human rights, stated that the termination notices were for projects in Equatorial Guinea, Iraq, Ukraine, and Colombia, as well as a fund for indigenous people, which were backed by the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. State Department. She explained that they will have to scale back their work in some countries, like Colombia and Iraq, while trying to reallocate funding elsewhere. The U.N. rights office has teams worldwide that document abuses, assist individuals in unlawful detention, and safeguard human rights defenders. The program in Iraq, aiding torture victims and families of the disappeared, will be completely shut down. The U.S. was previously the largest donor to the U.N. human rights office, contributing almost 14% of its budget last year in addition to mandatory U.N. fees. Shamdasani emphasized the importance of investing more in human rights at a time like this, as human rights efforts can prevent conflicts, resolve crises, and anticipate problems. High Commissioner Volker Turk is urging all states to increase their commitments to human rights.
