The U.S. State Department has announced that it will provide temporary funding for an initiative focused on documenting the details of kidnapped Ukrainian children to ensure data is transferred to the appropriate authorities.

Source: Reuters

Details: A spokesperson for the State Department stated that the funding is being allocated for a short duration while program operators ensure the proper transfer of critical child data: "This is part of the standard procedure for closing down programs that are ceasing operations".

Earlier this month, Democratic legislators urged the Trump administration to reinstate the program.

The government-funded initiative, led by the Yale University Humanitarian Research Lab, has helped track thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.

Reminder:

• The program's closure raised concerns about the potential loss of access to a vast amount of information, including satellite imagery and other data, regarding approximately 30,000 children taken from Ukraine.
• The decision to terminate the program came after Trump ordered a comprehensive review to prevent what he described as wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars on initiatives that do not align with U.S. interests.
• Ukraine has reported that over 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or to Russian-occupied territories during the war without the consent of their families or guardians.