Latest news with #JeremyKonyndyk
The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Trump-backed Gaza aid sites close after 'mass casualty' shootings
The new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has denied anyone was injured - let alone killed - at the aid sites since they started operations on May 26. But shooting deaths and injuries have mounted among masses of Palestinians walking to the foundation's distribution points. Israel's forces "carried out warning fire" around a third of a mile from the Rafah distribution site on June 3, IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin said, "targeting a few individuals who were approaching in a way that posed a security threat." But the number of deaths and injuries exceeded "a few." Hospital workers described two shootings near a distribution site in Rafah, in southern Gaza, as "mass casualty" events. On June 1, medics received 179 wounded people, of whom 21 were dead on arrival, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which operates the field hospital. Another influx of 184 wounded arrived at the Red Cross field hospital June 3, the ICRC said in a statement; 19 were declared dead on arrival, and eight more died of their wounds not long afterwards. "Again, all responsive patients said they were trying to reach an assistance distribution site," the ICRC said. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has faced heavy criticism from established aid organizations, who alleged its closeness with Israel and militarized aid model would put civilians in harms way. With large groups of Palestinians passing by armed Israeli soldiers to collect food, "every day, they're running the risk of a mass shooting," Jeremy Konyndyk, the president of Refugees International, told USA TODAY. USA TODAY was not able to independently verify the number of people killed and wounded - or who fired the shots. A Gaza Humanitarian Foundation spokesperson confirmed operations were paused on June 4, adding the group was in discussions with the Israeli Defense Forces about how it could "enhance its security measures beyond the immediate perimeter" of the sites. While Israel blamed Hamas for the gunshot deaths and injuries, the foundation asked the IDF to "enhance" training for soldiers and "introduce measures that guide foot traffic in a way that minimizes confusion or escalation risks near IDF military perimeters," according to a statement. In an email a day earlier, the foundation said that although "aid distribution was conducted safely and without incident," the IDF was investigating whether civilians were injured at "an area well beyond" its operating area. "We recognize the difficult nature of the situation and advise all civilians to remain in the safe corridor when traveling to our distribution sites," the group said. Konyndyk said the foundation's operating model made mass shootings a "very predictable risk." It "forces huge crowds of desperately hungry people to pass through IDF security perimeters in order to get to the aid distribution sites," he said. A solution to Gaza's food crisis? Israel completely shut down all aid entering Gaza for nearly three months beginning in early March, accusing Hamas of stealing the supplies. As the international community warned of imminent mass starvation, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation appeared on the scene. The group touted its distribution sites, with high fences and armed guards, as a way to prevent theft while getting food to Palestinians. Israel has also long accused the United Nations, which previously distributed most of Gaza's aid, of anti-Israel bias. But distrust of the new group bloomed among aid workers over its ties to Israel. The foundation has also been criticized for opening just four sites throughout the 2 million-person enclave, forcing Palestinians to walk long distances to receive aid. Israel said militants had opened fire on civilians trying to collect aid on June 1, blaming Hamas for "spreading rumors" and "fake news" that its soldiers were behind the gunfire. Hamas is "trying bluntly, violently to stop the people of Gaza from reaching those distribution centers," Defrin said in a video statement. The U.S. has stood behind its ally. "It is Hamas that continues to terrorize and intimidate those who seek food aid," U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in a June 2 statement. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the shootings merited an independent investigation. "It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food," he said in a June 2 statement. More: Chaos and criticism for Trump-backed Gaza aid plan as 47 are injured Israel dropped its aid blockade in mid-May. Humanitarian organizations say only a trickle of aid has reached its population, which is on the brink of famine. Israel has accused Hamas of looting aid - a charge refuted by the World Food Program and other aid organizations, which say starving people have raided recently arriving trucks and warehouses amid the mass food shortage. Israel launched its siege of Gaza after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, killed 1,200 Israelis. More than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict since, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
CNN
12-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
White South Africans granted refugee status by Trump administration arrive in US
A flight carrying a group of 59 White South Africans granted refugee status in the United States by the Trump administration arrived at Washington Dulles airport in Virginia on Monday, a State Department official said. The Trump administration has moved to not only admit but to expedite the processing of Afrikaners as refugees for alleged discrimination. At the same time, it has suspended virtually all other refugee resettlement, including for people fleeing war and famine. The policy has drawn criticism from the South African government and from refugee advocates. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Monday that those going to the US 'do not fit the definition of a refugee.' Ramaphosa said he told Donald Trump that what the US president had been told about the persecution of the White minority group was not true. 'Those people who have fled are not being persecuted, they are not being hounded, they are not being treated badly,' he said at a panel at the Africa CEO Forum in Cote d'Ivoire moderated by CNN's Larry Madowo. 'They are leaving ostensibly because they don't want to embrace the changes that are taking place in our country in accordance with our constitution,' Ramaphosa said. Jeremy Konyndyk, the president of Refugees International, called the policy 'a racialized immigration program masquerading as refugee resettlement, while real refugees remain stranded.' 'The main problem is denying protection to any other refugees from anywhere else in the world,' he said. 'There are millions of refugees around the world - people who have had to flee their home countries due to war or persecution – who have far more need for protection than anyone in this group – none of whom, to my knowledge, had been forced to flee from South Africa.' In remarks on Friday, senior White House official Stephen Miller said the arrivals this week are 'the beginning of what's going to be a much larger-scale relocation effort.' Since Trump began his second term, the US has taken a series of punitive measures against South Africa, whose government has been met with ire not only from Trump, but also from his ally Elon Musk, who was born and raised in the country. Both Trump and Musk, the tech billionaire, have alleged that White farmers in the country are being discriminated against under land reform policies that South Africa's government says are necessary to remedy the legacy of apartheid. In January, South Africa enacted the Expropriation Act, seeking to undo the legacy of apartheid, which created huge disparities in land ownership among its majority Black and minority White population. Under apartheid, non-White South Africans were forcibly dispossessed from their lands for the benefit of Whites. Today, some three decades after racial segregation officially ended in the country, Black South Africans, who comprise over 80% of the population of 63 million, own around 4% of private land. The expropriation law empowers South Africa's government to take land and redistribute it – with no obligation to pay compensation in some instances – if the seizure is found to be 'just and equitable and in the public interest.' In February, Trump suspended aid to South Africa, alleging discrimination against White farmers. In that same executive order, the president said the US would 'promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation.' Earlier this month, Trump said in a post on social media that 'any Farmer (with family!) from South Africa, seeking to flee that country for reasons of safety, will be invited into the United States of America with a rapid pathway to Citizenship.'
CNN
12-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
White South Africans granted refugee status by Trump administration arrive in US
A flight carrying a group of 59 White South Africans granted refugee status in the United States by the Trump administration arrived at Washington Dulles airport in Virginia on Monday, a State Department official said. The Trump administration has moved to not only admit but to expedite the processing of Afrikaners as refugees for alleged discrimination. At the same time, it has suspended virtually all other refugee resettlement, including for people fleeing war and famine. The policy has drawn criticism from the South African government and from refugee advocates. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Monday that those going to the US 'do not fit the definition of a refugee.' Ramaphosa said he told Donald Trump that what the US president had been told about the persecution of the White minority group was not true. 'Those people who have fled are not being persecuted, they are not being hounded, they are not being treated badly,' he said at a panel at the Africa CEO Forum in Cote d'Ivoire moderated by CNN's Larry Madowo. 'They are leaving ostensibly because they don't want to embrace the changes that are taking place in our country in accordance with our constitution,' Ramaphosa said. Jeremy Konyndyk, the president of Refugees International, called the policy 'a racialized immigration program masquerading as refugee resettlement, while real refugees remain stranded.' 'The main problem is denying protection to any other refugees from anywhere else in the world,' he said. 'There are millions of refugees around the world - people who have had to flee their home countries due to war or persecution – who have far more need for protection than anyone in this group – none of whom, to my knowledge, had been forced to flee from South Africa.' In remarks on Friday, senior White House official Stephen Miller said the arrivals this week are 'the beginning of what's going to be a much larger-scale relocation effort.' Since Trump began his second term, the US has taken a series of punitive measures against South Africa, whose government has been met with ire not only from Trump, but also from his ally Elon Musk, who was born and raised in the country. Both Trump and Musk, the tech billionaire, have alleged that White farmers in the country are being discriminated against under land reform policies that South Africa's government says are necessary to remedy the legacy of apartheid. In January, South Africa enacted the Expropriation Act, seeking to undo the legacy of apartheid, which created huge disparities in land ownership among its majority Black and minority White population. Under apartheid, non-White South Africans were forcibly dispossessed from their lands for the benefit of Whites. Today, some three decades after racial segregation officially ended in the country, Black South Africans, who comprise over 80% of the population of 63 million, own around 4% of private land. The expropriation law empowers South Africa's government to take land and redistribute it – with no obligation to pay compensation in some instances – if the seizure is found to be 'just and equitable and in the public interest.' In February, Trump suspended aid to South Africa, alleging discrimination against White farmers. In that same executive order, the president said the US would 'promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation.' Earlier this month, Trump said in a post on social media that 'any Farmer (with family!) from South Africa, seeking to flee that country for reasons of safety, will be invited into the United States of America with a rapid pathway to Citizenship.'
Gulf Today
08-03-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Gaza aid services hit as millions of promised USAID dollars frozen
The Trump administration's cuts to USAID have frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in contractual payments to aid groups, leaving them paying out of pocket to preserve a fragile ceasefire, according to officials from the US humanitarian agency. The cutbacks threaten to halt the small gains aid workers have made combating Gaza's humanitarian crisis during the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. They also could endanger the tenuous truce, which the Trump administration helped cement. USAID was supposed to fund much of the aid to Gaza as the ceasefire progressed, and the Trump administration approved over $383 million on Jan.31 to that end, according to three USAID officials. But since then, there have been no confirmed payments to any partners in the Middle East, they said. The officials, who have survived multiple rounds of furloughs, spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. Two senior officials at aid organisations confirmed they have not received any of the promised funds, after spending millions of dollars on supplies and services. They said they could not afford to continue aid operations indefinitely. Laying off workers Some organisations have already reported laying off workers and scaling down operations, according to internal USAID information shared with the AP. That could imperil the ceasefire, under which Hamas is supposed to release hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners and ramping up the entry of humanitarian assistance. "The US established very specific, concrete commitments for aid delivery under the ceasefire, and there is no way ... to fulfil those as long as the funding freeze is in place,' said Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International and a former USAID official. USAID has been one of the biggest targets of a broad campaign by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to slash the size of the federal government. Before Trump took office, USAID had roughly $446 million to disperse to partner organisations in Gaza in 2025, the USAID officials said. But after Trump froze global foreign assistance, USAID's Gaza team had to submit a waiver to ensure the funds for Gaza aid could continue to flow. They received approval on Jan. 31 to secure over $383 million in funding, less than two weeks after the US-brokered ceasefire was reached. Some $40 million was subsequently cut under a measure that no money be provided for aid in the form of direct cash assistance. USAID then signed contracts with eight partner organisations, including prominent NGOs and UN agencies, awarding them money to flood supplies and services into Gaza. Then, the officials said, they began hearing that organisations were not receiving the promised payments – even as they had already spent millions, expecting USAID reimbursement. Some of those organisations are now spending less and scaling back programmes. 2 Gaza hospitals suffer The International Medical Corps, a global nonprofit that provides medical and development assistance, was awarded $12 million to continue operations at two hospitals in Gaza. These include the largest field hospital in Gaza, whose construction was funded by USAID at the request of the Israeli government, according to internal USAID information. It has now requested payback of over $1 million, said one USAID official, adding that the freeze has forced the organisation to lay off some 700 staff members and offer only basic services at the hospitals, with a skeletal crew. A former IMC staffer, who quit citing lack of stability, said the programme providing life-saving treatment for malnutrition was almost frozen for lack of funds. The former staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the organisation's details, said the current nutrition services were at a minimum level. Termination letters Meanwhile, termination letters severing the contracts between USAID and Gaza partners were also sent out to organisations that were major providers of shelter, child protection and logistical support in the Gaza aid operation, a USAID official said. Some of the termination letters seen by the AP were signed by new USAID deputy chief Peter Marocco – a returning political appointee from Trump's first term. They instruct organisations to "immediately cease' all activities and "avoid additional spending chargeable to the award,' citing a directive from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In addition to the spending freeze, officials say USAID has been wracked by internal chaos and the introduction of arbitrary regulations since the new administration took office. During the first 42-day phase of the ceasefire, Israel had to allow at least 600 trucks of aid into Gaza a day, as well as 60,000 temporary homes and 200,000 tents. Two USAID officials said the agency was originally supposed to buy 400 temporary homes that would make it into Gaza by the end of Phase 1 of the deal, and over 5,200 more during the next phase. That figure has since been slashed to just over 1,000. Gaza team locked out of email accounts USAID was never able to purchase the mobile homes because of newly-imposed policies requiring extra approvals for procurements. On Feb.2, some 40 per cent of the Gaza team was locked out of their email accounts and software necessary to track awards, move payments and communicate with the organisations. An email sent immediately following the lockout came from Gavin Kliger, a DOGE staffer. Access to the servers has now been restored, the officials said, but the team is smaller after waves of layoffs. From an original team of about 30 people, only six or seven remain. Very few mobile homes entered Gaza during Phase 1 of the ceasefire, which ended last week, prompting Hamas to accuse Israel of violating the truce. Israel has cut off all aid shipments into Gaza in a bid to pressure Hamas to accept an extension of the ceasefire. That has sent aid groups scrambling to distribute reserves of food and shelter to the most needy. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is considering cutting off electricity to raise the pressure on Hamas. With USAID in flux, the US risks losing its influence, said Dave Harden, the former USAID assistant administrator of Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Aid and a longtime director of the agency's work in the Palestinian territories. "US aid assistance to Palestinians ... never, ever equated to US assistance to Israel, never quite balanced, but always gave us a seat at the table, always helped us to have real discussions with both the Palestinians and the Israelis about what the future might hold,' Harden said. Now, he said, "We're just simply not at the table in a meaningful way, and so I think the ceasefire is fragile.'
Chicago Tribune
07-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Aid efforts in Gaza slow as millions of promised USAID dollars do not arrive, agency officials say
JERUSALEM — The Trump administration's cuts to USAID have frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in contractual payments to aid groups, leaving them paying out of pocket to preserve a fragile ceasefire, according to officials from the U.S. humanitarian agency. The cutbacks threaten to halt the small gains aid workers have made combatting Gaza's humanitarian crisis during the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. They also could endanger the tenuous truce, which the Trump administration helped cement. USAID was supposed to fund much of the aid to Gaza as the ceasefire progressed, and the Trump administration approved over $383 million on Jan. 31 to that end, according to three USAID officials. But since then, there have been no confirmed payments to any partners in the Middle East, they said. The officials, who have survived multiple rounds of furloughs, spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. Two senior officials at aid organizations confirmed they have not received any of the promised funds, after spending millions of dollars on supplies and services. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the political sensitivity of the issue and of their work in Gaza, said they could not afford to continue aid operations indefinitely. Some organizations have already reported laying off workers and scaling down operations, according to internal USAID information shared with The Associated Press. That could imperil the ceasefire, under which Hamas is supposed to release hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners and ramping up the entry of humanitarian assistance. 'The U.S. established very specific, concrete commitments for aid delivery under the ceasefire, and there is no way … to fulfill those as long as the funding freeze is in place,' said Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International and a former USAID official. USAID has been one of the biggest targets of a broad campaign by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to slash the size of the federal government. USAID payments frozen, some NGOs scale down Gaza response Before Trump took office, USAID had roughly $446 million to disburse to partner organizations in Gaza in 2025, the USAID officials said. But after Trump froze global foreign assistance, USAID's Gaza team had to submit a waiver to ensure the funds for Gaza aid could continue to flow. They received approval Jan. 31 to secure over $383 million in funding, less than two weeks after the U.S.-brokered ceasefire was reached. Some $40 million was subsequently cut under a measure that no money be provided for aid in the form of direct cash assistance. USAID then signed contracts with eight partner organizations, including prominent NGOs and U.N. agencies, awarding them money to flood supplies and services into Gaza. Then, the officials said, they began hearing that organizations were not receiving the promised payments — even as they had already spent millions, expecting USAID reimbursement. Some of those organizations are now spending less and scaling back programs. The International Medical Corps, a global nonprofit that partners with the World Health Organization and provides medical and development assistance, was awarded $12 million to continue operations at two hospitals in Gaza. These include the largest field hospital in Gaza, whose construction was funded by USAID at the request of the Israeli government, according to internal USAID information. The freeze has forced the organization to lay off some 700 staff members and offer only basic services at the hospitals, with a skeletal crew, said one USAID official. A former IMC staffer, who quit citing lack of stability, said the program providing life-saving treatment for malnutrition was significantly scaled down for lack of funds. The former staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the organization's details, said the current nutrition services were at a minimum level. Another former IMC staffer, who also left recently and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information not meant to be shared with media, said the USAID cuts have reduced the amount of medical supplies brought into Gaza and led the majority of IMC's partners to reduce their programming. They said that some organizations have already purchased stocks of medical supplies, food to treat acute malnutrition, lab and medical equipment ready to enter Gaza, but because of the shortfall they have not been able to afford movement of those goods. Meanwhile, termination letters severing the contracts between USAID and Gaza partners were also sent out to organizations that were major providers of shelter, child protection and logistical support in the Gaza aid operation, a USAID official said. Some of the termination letters seen by the AP were signed by new USAID deputy chief Peter Marocco — a returning political appointee from Trump's first term. They instruct organizations to 'immediately cease' all activities and 'avoid additional spending chargeable to the award,' citing a directive from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. USAID Gaza response in crisis as truce is tenuous In addition to the spending freeze, officials say USAID has been wracked by internal chaos and the introduction of new regulations since the new administration took office. During the first 42-day phase of the ceasefire, Israel had to allow at least 600 trucks of aid into Gaza a day, as well as 60,000 temporary homes and 200,000 tents. Two USAID officials said the agency was originally supposed to buy 400 temporary homes that would make it into Gaza by the end of Phase 1, and over 5,200 more during the next phase. That figure has since been slashed to just over 1,000. USAID was never able to purchase the mobile homes because of newly imposed policies requiring extra approvals for procurements. On Feb. 2, some 40% of the Gaza team was locked out of their email accounts and software necessary to track awards, move payments and communicate with the organizations. An email sent immediately following the lockout came from Gavin Kliger, a DOGE staffer. Access to the servers has now been restored, the officials said, but the team is smaller after waves of layoffs. From an original team of about 30 people, only six or seven remain. Very few mobile homes entered Gaza during Phase 1 of the ceasefire, which ended last week, prompting Hamas to accuse Israel of violating the truce. Since the end of Phase 1, Israel has cut off all aid shipments into Gaza in a bid to pressure Hamas to accept an extension of the ceasefire. That has sent aid groups scrambling to distribute reserves of food and shelter to the most needy. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is considering cutting off electricity to raise the pressure on Hamas. With USAID in flux, the U.S. risks losing its influence, said Dave Harden, the former USAID assistant administrator of Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Aid and a longtime director of the agency's work in the Palestinian territories. 'U.S. aid assistance to Palestinians … never, ever equated to U.S. assistance to Israel, never quite balanced, but always gave us a seat at the table, always helped us to have real discussions with both the Palestinians and the Israelis about what the future might hold,' Harden said. Now, he said, 'We're just simply not at the table in a meaningful way, and so I think the ceasefire is fragile.' Originally Published:
