US freezes all aid except Israel and Egypt
US freezes all aid except Israel and Egypt
2025-01-25 03:43
Shafaq News/ US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the suspension of almost all US foreign aid, with the exception of funding for Israel and Egypt, according to an internal memo.
An internal memo to employees, published by Agence France-Presse, stated that no new funding may be committed to any entity or any existing funding extended until each new funding or extension is reviewed and approved in line with President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The memo excludes emergency food aid. It makes no mention of Ukraine, which under former President Joe Biden received billions of dollars in aid to defend itself against Russia, suggesting that this aid has also been frozen.
The memo comes as part of an executive order issued by Trump on Monday, the day of his inauguration, which ordered a freeze on US foreign aid for 90 days.
Israel and Egypt are among the largest recipients of US military aid.
In the memo, the secretary of state notes that it is impossible for the new administration to assess whether current foreign aid commitments are “non-duplicative, effective, and consistent with President Trump’s foreign policy.”
According to official figures, the United States is the world’s leading provider of humanitarian and development aid, allocating about 1% of the federal government’s budget to it, something former Democratic President Joe Biden was proud of.
Biden had requested for the 2025 budget (October through September) about $42.8 billion to fund foreign aid managed by the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Many NGOs have expressed concern about the consequences of this freeze, particularly in terms of humanitarian and development aid.
“The suspension of humanitarian assistance casts uncertainty over all U.S. humanitarian and development programs, preventing aid professionals from planning or operating effectively,” Oxfam America President Abby Maxman said in a statement.
She considered that this freeze “could have dire consequences for countless children and families who are in a critical situation.”
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