The US State Department has issued a “stop-work” order on all existing foreign assistance and paused new aid, citing a review of the allocation of aid to ensure it aligns with President Donald Trump’s foreign policy. The order, effective immediately, will stop all work and pause new aid, including life-saving assistance, until a review is completed.
The move is expected to cut off billions of dollars in aid, with the US being the largest single donor of aid globally, disbursing $72 billion in assistance in fiscal year 2023.
Critics of the move, including a former USAID official, have described it as “lunacy” and “a wrecking ball” that will “kill people” and “break as much stuff as possible.” A former senior official with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has also slammed the order, saying it will lead to “manufactured chaos” and the discontinuation of lifesaving health services, HIV/AIDS programs, nutrition, and agriculture work.
The order does provide for waivers, which have already been issued for military financing for Israel and Egypt. Senior officials are required to ensure that no new obligations are made for foreign assistance until the review is complete.
The move has left organizations and individuals who rely on the aid worried about the potential consequences, with a senior official saying that organizations will have to stop all activities, including lifesaving health services, and a former US official describing the order as “unlawful.”