Trump admin will directly help Christians in the Middle East rather than use ‘ineffective’ UN programs

Vice President Mike Pence

Vice President Pence announced Wednesday that the U.S. will provide relief to persecuted Christians in the Middle East directly through USAID rather than “ineffective” United Nations programs.

“It is my privilege to announce that President Trump has ordered the State Department to stop funding ineffective relief efforts at the United Nations,” Pence told the In Defense of Christians summit. “From this day forward, America will provide support directly to persecuted communities through USAID.”

USAID is a government agency that provides foreign assistance.

It “carries out U.S. foreign policy by promoting broad-scale human progress at the same time it expands stable, free societies, creates markets and trade partners for the United States, and fosters good will abroad,” its website says.

USAID also describes itself as “the world's largest family planning bilateral donor.” It’s unclear whether its well-documented promotion of contraception will have anything to do with relief efforts in the Middle East.

Pence noted that although the Obama administration devoted “well over a billion dollars in humanitarian aid to the Middle East,” most of that money went through the UN, which “has too often failed to help the most vulnerable communities, especially religious minorities.”

Pence said that of the more than 160 projects the UN claims are in Christian areas, “a third” of them aren’t.

Many UN projects that are labeled complete “have little more than a U.N. flag hung outside an unusable building, in many cases a school,” said Pence.

The UN also “too often” denies funding requests that come from religious groups even though these groups have “proven track records and deep roots in these communities.”

“The United States will work hand-in-hand from this day forward with faith-based groups and private organizations to help those who are persecuted for their faith,” said Pence.

During this same speech, Pence announced that in December he will visit the Middle East at Trump’s request.

“One of the messages that I will bring on the President’s behalf to leaders across the region is that now is the time to bring an end to the persecution of Christians and all religious minorities,” said Pence.