The US has withdrawn its support for the Global Fund for Preventing Extremism

The Global Fund for Community Engagement and Resilience criticized the US decision to withdraw support for preventive programs against violent extremism. The fund pointed out that the decision comes at a time when the risk of militant attacks in the Middle East and the African Sahel is growing.

The Fund was among 35 international agencies and 31 UN entities from which the United States withdrew, according to a White House memorandum, citing opposition to US interests.

Fund chief Khalid Koser said the decision came without explanation and signals an ideological shift by the Donald Trump administration from multilateral prevention to security-focused measures.

According to Koser, the threat of radicalization is increasing, particularly in areas such as Afghanistan, the Sahel, and camps in northeastern Syria, and he warned of the consequences: "In ten years, we will face many terrorists if we do not invest in prevention."

The US helped finance the fund's programs in areas formerly controlled by the Islamic State. After the US withdrawal, the fund will continue, but without one of its main supporters. It will thus bear a greater burden, while its $50 million budget remains unchanged.

(reuters, max)