[The US State Department has frozen nearly all foreign assistance worldwide, effective immediately, in accordance with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump to put a hold on such aid for 90 days. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a cable to all US diplomatic posts outlining the move, which threatens billions of dollars of funding for programs worldwide.
The freeze appears to target almost all foreign assistance, including humanitarian aid, development assistance, military aid, and clean water distribution, unless specifically exempted. Emergency food assistance and foreign military financing for Israel and Egypt are the only programs mentioned as being exempt.
The administration will develop standards for a review of whether the assistance is aligned with President Trump’s foreign policy agenda. Decisions on whether to continue, modify, or terminate programs will be made following this review, which should be completed within 85 days.
The impact of the freeze will be immense, as the US is the world’s largest humanitarian donor. The pause has been met with alarm from humanitarian and State Department officials, who describe it as a “global freak out.”
Critics argue that the freeze is unnecessary and could have disastrous consequences, particularly for programs that support global health, development, and stability. One humanitarian official said the specifics of the cable are “as bad as can be,” and that the freeze will create a power vacuum that will be filled by China and other adversaries.
Some officials have questioned the motivations behind the freeze, pointing out that many assistance programs have bipartisan support and are in the US’ interest.
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