Leaked memo says US has frozen foreign aid
The US State Department has frozen all existing foreign aid and halted new aid, according to an internal memo sent to officials and US embassies abroad.
The leaked notice comes after President Trump issued an executive order on Monday imposing a 90-day freeze on foreign development assistance pending a review of the efficiency and consistency of his foreign policy.
United States is world’s largest international aid donor to spend $68bn in 2023 According to government dataThe State Department notice appears to affect everything from development aid to military assistance.
It makes exceptions only for emergency food aid and military funding for Israel and Egypt. The contents of the leaked memo have been confirmed by the BBC.
“No new funds will be required for new awards or expansions of existing awards until each proposed new award or expansion has been reviewed and approved,” the memo to staff said.
It says US officials will “immediately issue work stoppage orders consistent with the terms of the relevant award until the Secretary determines after review.”
It also orders a wide-scale review of all foreign assistance, to be completed within 85 days to ensure adherence to President Trump’s foreign policy goals.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, America’s top diplomat, has previously said that all US spending abroad should only occur if it makes the US “stronger”, “safer” or “more prosperous”.
A former senior State Department official told the BBC that the notice would mean a “potentially huge” impact on US-funded foreign aid programmes.
“One can imagine, for example, humanitarian de-mining programs around the world being suddenly asked to cease work. That’s a huge deal,” said Josh Paul, who will be working abroad until the end of 2023. Oversaw congressional relations on arms transfers in the department.
Dave Harden, former mission director for the US International Aid Agency (USAID) in the Middle East, told the BBC that the move was “very significant”, adding that it would have led to the immediate suspension of US-funded humanitarian and development programs around the world. Is. While the review is being done.
He said this could affect many important development projects including water, sanitation and shelter.
“The implementing partner or (non-governmental organization) staff will be able to be paid, but the actual aid, I think, needs to stop,” Mr Harden said.
“I’ve been through (aid suspension) several times when I was West Bank and Gaza mission director, but this was specific to that account. This is global… this is extremely broad,” he said.
He said, “Not only does it halt aid, it imposes ‘work stoppage’ orders in existing contracts that are already funded and ongoing. This is extremely broad.”
The funding freeze could also potentially affect Ukraine, which received billions of dollars in arms under Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, the AFP news agency reported.
Rubio’s memo justifying the pause said it was impossible for the new administration to assess whether existing foreign aid commitments “are not duplicative, are effective and are consistent with President Trump’s foreign policy”.
Rubio has issued a waiver for emergency food aid, according to the memo.
This comes amid an increase in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip following the start of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and several other hunger crises around the world, including in Sudan.
The memo also notes that exemptions have so far been approved by Rubio for “foreign military financing for Israel and Egypt and administrative expenses, including salaries required to administer the foreign military financing.”
The State Department has been contacted for comment.
