The U.S. administration under Donald Trump has reportedly decided to completely terminate the Joint Emergency Operation in Ethiopia (JEOP), a long-standing program that has made significant contributions to the country for years. Relief organizations and political analysts are warning that this decision will expose more than 3 million Ethiopians—already suffering from severe food insecurity due to various natural and man-made disasters—to extreme hunger and security instability.
In a statement issued on June 15, 2026, Sarah Miller, a Senior Fellow at Refugees International, noted that this action by the U.S. government is exacerbated by the fact that it comes during the difficult lean season, a period when millions are already facing hunger and food shortages. According to the researcher, the JEOP has been the primary food security safety net used by the United States to support vulnerable communities in Ethiopia.
This coordinated emergency response program has been operating in Ethiopia for the past 18 years since 2008, delivering direct food and cash assistance to households affected by conflict and drought. At its peak, the program reached more than 3 million vulnerable citizens each month.
However, the program faced severe disruptions in 2025 following brutal budget cuts to foreign assistance implemented by the Trump administration, which led to its retooling under the Department of State. Now, the decision to close the program entirely by the end of this month, coupled with the ongoing macroeconomic pressures facing the country, has raised deep concerns over an impending humanitarian catastrophe.
The closure of this program is also stirring significant opposition among members of the U.S. Congress. In late April, Senator Shaheen emphasized that terminating the JEOP program would bring a “humanitarian catastrophe” for up to 3.1 million people struggling with acute food insecurity in Ethiopia, including over a million internally displaced persons (IDPs).
While lawmakers are calling urgently on the U.S. Department of State to work with Congress to restore and extend funding for JEOP before the current award lapses at the end of June, the White House administration is reportedly moving forward with implementing the decision.
Currently, various regions across Ethiopia are facing widespread food shortages due to natural disasters and internal conflicts. This humanitarian crisis is not limited to domestic factors but is also linked to global geopolitical tensions.
Particularly, disruptions to energy and fuel supplies in the Persian Gulf region linked to the war in Iran have severely curtailed the supply of fertilizer entering Ethiopia. This disruption has blocked farmers from accessing fertilizer during the critical planting and preparation season, further threatening the country’s medium-term food security.
Relief organizations stress that food assistance not only saves lives but is also directly linked to the peace and stability of the nation. Human rights advocates argue that cutting off food aid could further push Ethiopia—which is already teetering under political and economic pressures—into instability, and they are calling on the Trump administration to immediately reinstate funding for the JEOP.
