A look at the United States' new foreign aid strategy
From This Week in Global Development by Devex | Global Development
April 9, 2026 · 33 min · Episode 140
About this episode
The episode discusses the U.S.'s new foreign aid strategy focusing on rapid humanitarian assistance and the implications of the Trump administration's budget request.
This week, we discuss the United States’ new highly targeted approach to humanitarian aid, showcased in a $2 billion agreement with the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs , or OCHA. Designed for rapid impact, the funds are strictly earmarked for direct, lifesaving assistance over a short six-month window across 18 crisis-affected countries. We explore the implications of this strategy, which signals a significant shift in U.S. foreign aid toward fast-tracked, tightly scoped interventions focused on immediate survival. During the conversation, we also take a look at the details of the Trump administration’s budget request , which calls for a 30% cut to foreign affairs spending and increased funding to rebuild and secure critical mineral supply chains. To dig into these stories, and others, Devex Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with Adva Saldinger and Elissa Miolene for the latest episode of our weekly podcast series. To find out more about how the U.S. budget works, check out our special explainer episode. Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters.
People in this episode
Host: David Ainsworth
Guests: Adva Saldinger, Elissa Miolene
Topics covered
- foreign aid
- humanitarian assistance
- U.S. budget
- crisis response
- foreign affairs
Keywords
- foreign aid
- humanitarian aid
- U.S. budget
- OCHA
- crisis-affected countries
- Trump administration
- funding cuts
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Places: United States
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