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USA (AFP) - The United States, the largest donor globally, halted nearly all foreign aid on Friday, allowing only emergency food and military funding for Israel and Egypt.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued an internal memo shortly after President Donald Trump assumed office, pledging an "America First" approach that would severely limit overseas assistance. "No new funds shall be allocated for new awards or extensions of existing awards until each proposed new award or extension has been reviewed and approved," the memo stated, as reported by AFP.
This extensive directive seems to impact a wide range of aid, from development assistance to military support — including aid to Ukraine, which received billions in weaponry under Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, as it seeks to fend off a Russian invasion.
The order also signifies a pause of several months in US funding for PEPFAR, the initiative aimed at combating HIV/AIDS that provides anti-retroviral drugs to treat the disease in developing nations, primarily in Africa.
Established under President George W. Bush in 2003, PEPFAR is credited with saving approximately 26 million lives and had recently enjoyed widespread bipartisan support in Washington.
However, the memo specifically exempted military aid to Israel — which has seen its significant arms packages from the US increase since the Gaza conflict — and Egypt, which has benefited from substantial US defense funding since signing a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.
Rubio also made allowances for US contributions to emergency food aid, which the United States has been providing in response to crises worldwide, including in Sudan and Syria. Lawmakers from the opposing Democratic Party pointed out that over 20 million individuals depend on medication through PEPFAR and 63 million rely on US-funded anti-malaria initiatives, including mosquito nets.
"For years, Republicans in Congress have criticized what they perceive as a lack of U.S. credibility regarding countries like China, Russia, and Iran," stated Representative Gregory Meeks, the leading Democrat on the House Foreign Relations Committee, along with Representative Lois Frankel. "Now our credibility is at stake, and it seems we will abandon our commitments to our global partners," they expressed in a letter.
Washington has historically utilized aid as a means of foreign policy, claiming to prioritize development while contrasting itself with China, which mainly seeks natural resources. Meeks and Frankel also emphasized that foreign assistance is allocated by Congress and indicated they would advocate for its continuation.
The memo permits the State Department to make additional case-by-case exceptions and temporarily fund salaries and other administrative costs. It called for an internal review of all foreign assistance within 85 days. In defending the freeze, Rubio who previously supported development aid as a senator stated that it was unfeasible for the new administration to evaluate whether existing foreign aid commitments "are not duplicated, are effective, and align with President Trump’s foreign policy."
The United States has consistently been the leading donor in monetary terms, although several European countries, particularly in Scandinavia, contribute significantly more relative to their economies. In 2023, the United States provided over $64 billion in overseas development assistance, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which advises industrialized nations.
Trump had already signed an executive order on his first day in office to suspend foreign assistance for 90 days, but it was unclear how this would be enacted. The anti-poverty organization Oxfam criticized Trump for abandoning a long-standing consensus in the US regarding foreign aid.
"Humanitarian and development assistance constitutes only about one percent of the federal budget; it saves lives, combats diseases, educates millions of children, and alleviates poverty," stated Oxfam America president Abby Maxman. "Halting and potentially cutting many of these programs could have life-or-death implications for countless children and families enduring crises," she added.
