Rabat – The new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has halted all foreign aid programs except for assistance to Egypt and Israel.
A US State Department cable said that senior officials “shall ensure that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, no new obligations shall be made for foreign assistance.”
This measure comes after President Donald Trump issued on Monday an order to review if foreign aid is aligned with his foreign policy.
The directive stipulates that “no new funds will be committed” until each proposed allocation or extension is examined and approved in line with Trump’s foreign policy goals.
Meanwhile, emergency food aid remains exempt. Also, the memo did not mention freezing aid to Ukraine, suggesting that critical military support may also be suspended.
In the internal communication, the Secretary of State argues that the current foreign aid infrastructure cannot be immediately assessed for effectiveness or alignment with administration priorities.
Trump previously criticized the foreign aid system, asserting that “the United States’ foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and, in many cases, are contrary to American values.”
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Traditional largest recipients of US’ aid, Israel and Egypt, appear to be the primary exceptions to the freeze, reflecting their strategic weight in US foreign policy.
Freezing US foreign aid raises questions about the potential impact on ongoing international development programs, humanitarian efforts, and geopolitical relationships.
President of Refugees International Jeremy Konyndyk criticized the US move saying “This will kill people … if implemented as written in that cable … a lot of people will die.”
This stance cues a potentially significant shift in US international assistance strategy.
The full implications of this aid freeze remain to be seen, as the new American administration conducts its detailed assessment of existing aid programs.
