The Trump administration’s decision to suspend U.S. foreign aid has led to severe disruptions in healthcare services in northern Syria, affecting approximately 35,000 people. The halt in funding has resulted in the closure of clinics that once provided essential medical care, leaving displaced Syrians without access to life-saving treatments.
The Impact of the Aid Freeze
In the town of Sarmada, northern Syria, Dr. Mohammad Fares, who once worked in three bustling clinics run by Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World), now finds himself unlocking an empty medical facility. Once filled with patients and stocked with medicines, the clinic now has little more than expired drugs and a few bandages.
This is the direct consequence of the Trump administration’s decision to freeze foreign aid. Last month, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) issued stop-work orders during a 90-day review period. The administration has justified the aid suspension by alleging wasteful spending. However, humanitarian organizations argue that the cut has had devastating effects on vulnerable communities.
Clinics Forced to Shut Down
Before the aid freeze, the clinics where Dr. Fares worked offered free healthcare to displaced populations in northern Syria. These communities have suffered through years of civil war and, more recently, the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and northern Syria in 2023. Many people lost their homes and continue to live in overcrowded camps with limited access to food, clean water, and medical care.
Dr. Fares’ clinic in Sarmada supported 16 camps and provided care to roughly 35,000 people. However, since the aid suspension, 10 clinics receiving USAID funding have had to close, and Doctors of the World has laid off 184 healthcare workers.
“If the support is not resumed, there will be a major disaster and serious harm to vulnerable groups,” Fares said. He warned that the lack of clinics would place an even greater burden on already struggling emergency hospitals.
Northern Syria lacks a centralized government healthcare system, making nonprofit and humanitarian aid organizations the primary providers of medical services. Experts and aid workers argue that the sudden withdrawal of U.S. support has left an already fragile healthcare system on the brink of collapse.
The Economic Shock of Aid Cuts
Ian Mitchell, a senior policy fellow at the Washington-based Center for Global Development, stated that withdrawing USAID support in Syria is equivalent to a “devastating shock of 5% to its already struggling economy.”
“The U.S. had been providing just 25 cents in foreign aid for every $100 of U.S. income,” Mitchell said. “But that relatively small contribution had an outsized impact. Without U.S. support in places like Gaza and Syria, the world will become a more dangerous place.”
Dire Consequences for Displaced Syrians
In Kawkaba village, one of the camps previously served by a Doctors of the World clinic, families are struggling to afford basic medical care.
Camp director Abdelkareem Khaled explained that many patients, particularly those with chronic illnesses, can no longer afford their monthly medications.
“Patients, especially those who need medicine every month, can no longer afford it at the pharmacy,” he said.
For people like Bassam Hussein, a father of four daughters, the aid freeze has forced heartbreaking choices. To afford his thyroid medication, Hussein had to pull his 12-year-old daughter out of school and send her to work in an almond field.
“I need a pack of medicine every twenty days, and it costs $12,” he said. “If I don’t secure the cost, I experience complications—weakness, depression, and more.” Hussein, who is unable to work due to past injuries and illnesses, now relies on his children’s income for his medical needs.
Healthcare Organizations in Limbo
Many humanitarian organizations are struggling to continue operations without knowing where their funding will come from.
Dr. Mufaddal Hamadeh, president of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), said his organization, which runs hospitals and mobile clinics across northern Syria, has been forced to reduce its services. While they have kept essential departments like maternity wards and neonatal incubators running, the long-term sustainability of these programs remains uncertain.
“We’re not certain if we’ll get a waiver or reimbursement for the expenses we’ve already covered,” Hamadeh said. “That already put a huge financial burden on us.”
The Trump administration has granted some waivers, allowing emergency food aid and “life-saving” programs to continue. However, Hamadeh and others argue that this is not enough. Funding has not resumed at levels necessary to fully restore services, and many crucial healthcare programs remain in jeopardy.
Programs at Risk
Some of the programs at risk of closure include mental health support for refugees in Turkey and an autism center for children.
“We have a grant that supports survivors of torture and sexual assault,” Hamadeh said. “Are these services life-saving or not? Likely they will be shut down.”
USAID and the U.S. government have not responded to requests for comment. Aid officials report that even where waivers have been issued, funding has not yet resumed. Many USAID staffers who would normally process aid requests have either been laid off or reassigned.
SAMS relies on USAID for about 25-30% of its total funding, while some organizations in Syria depend on it even more. Doctors of the World’s Istanbul office, which oversees medical operations in northern Syria, previously received 60% of its funding from USAID.
Unexpected Aid Halt Leaves Clinics Paralyzed
Hakan Bilgin, the Turkish branch director of Doctors of the World, recalled the shock of receiving the sudden stop-work order.
“We just received the stop-work order suddenly. Nobody was expecting it,” Bilgin said. “As a medical organization providing life-saving services, you’re basically telling us: Close all the clinics, stop all your doctors, and you’re not providing services to women, children, and the elderly.”
Since the funding halt, the organization has had to slash its daily consultations in northern Syria from 5,000 to just 500. The organization has applied for a waiver but has not received a response from the U.S. government.
Trump and Musk’s Cuts to Government Agencies
The Trump administration’s aid suspension is part of a broader effort to cut government spending. Elon Musk, who leads the newly established Department of Government Efficiency, has supported these cuts, arguing that USAID’s spending is misaligned with Trump’s policy priorities.
The Global Impact of U.S. Aid Cuts
Dr. Hamadeh warned that these aid reductions are short-sighted and could damage America’s reputation abroad.
“This money is helping people, saving lives,” he said. “You can’t just shut down USAID, which has helped millions across the world and actually did help improve America’s reputation.”
Northern Syria has suffered through years of war, natural disasters, and economic hardship. Now, with the Trump administration’s sudden aid cuts, an already dire situation is becoming even worse.
“If the U.S. pulls the plug on support, the suffering will only intensify,” Hamadeh said. “And when suffering increases, instability follows.”
The Trump administration’s decision to freeze U.S. aid has left thousands of displaced Syrians without access to healthcare, putting immense pressure on already overwhelmed hospitals and humanitarian organizations. With clinics closing and funding uncertain, the most vulnerable—women, children, and the chronically ill—are left in a precarious situation. Aid workers warn that without immediate intervention, the humanitarian crisis in northern Syria will deepen, leading to long-term consequences for both the region and global stability.
