Humanitarian workers have been seeking “bridging support” from Jersey Overseas Aid in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s 90-day pause and review of foreign development assistance payments – which is having a “devastating” impact on some of the agencies that the JOA works with, it has emerged.

International Development Minister Carolyn Labey said the JOA would have to “assess each project individually”.

Thousands of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employees have been laid off and programmes shut down around the world since President Trump ordered the foreign aid freeze last month.

Speaking to the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel this week, Deputy Labey said: “We’re seeing that the implications of the US withdrawing is having an impact.

“We’re getting enquiries from humanitarian workers, projects that have just had to stop.

“So the agencies are contacting us to see if we can do anything, any sort of bridging support.”

Panel member Deputy Max Andrews asked if the JOA was in a position to offer that support.

“We would have to assess each project individually,” Deputy Labey replied.

She also said she had “little doubt” the UK’s recent announcement that its foreign aid spending would be cut by 2027 – to fund a boost in defence spending – would have an impact too, but described it as “a gradual thing”.

“Agencies are contacting us to see if we can do anything”

International Development Minister Carolyn Labey

JOA interim head of programme Gillian Challinor said: “One of the organisations that I’ve been speaking to recently, which is less impacted by UK aid, but more US aid, is Mercy Corps.”

She continued: “We have a programme with them currently in Ethiopia, but that is in its final year and our project is separate to the USAID project.

“However, there are a lot of staff and core costs that are covered by USAID.

“They’ve assured us that they can continue, because we’re in the final year. So we’re fortunate in that sense that the work will not be lost.

“But obviously it’s very devastating for them as an organisation, and whether or not they will be able to continue in Ethiopia long-term, I don’t know.”