Trump Needs a Humanitarian Plan for Iran and the Middle East—Before it’s too Late
The US has not adopted a humanitarian plan in response to the conflicts in the Middle East, despite having a history of providing aid in similar situations. The lack of humanitarian aid is a policy choice, not a capacity problem, and is having significant security implications for the region and the US.
The US has spent an estimated $11 billion on military operations in the Iran conflict, but has not articulated a coherent humanitarian strategy. The State Department's Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response has not deployed emergency supplies or provided food assistance to offset inflation in countries nearing famine. In contrast, the US had pre-positioned emergency supplies and planned for refugees in the 2003 Iraq war. The current lack of humanitarian response is a break from historical precedent and Trump's own record, including his response to a massive explosion in Beirut in 2020. The security implications of inaction are growing, with over one million people displaced in Lebanon and emergency shelters beyond capacity.
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