US points broad freeze on international assist after Trump orders evaluation

By Humeyra Pamuk and Daphne Psaledakis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. State Division issued a “stop-work” order on Friday for all current international help and paused new assist, based on a cable seen by Reuters, after President Donald Trump ordered a pause to evaluation if assist allocation was aligned along with his international coverage.

The cable, drafted by the Division’s international help workplace and authorized by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stated waivers have been issued for army financing for Israel and Egypt. No different international locations had been talked about within the cable.

The transfer dangers reducing off billions of {dollars} of life-saving help. The US is the most important single donor of assist globally – in fiscal 12 months 2023, it disbursed $72 billion in help.

Simply hours after taking workplace on Monday, Trump ordered a 90-day pause in international improvement help pending a evaluation of efficiencies and consistency along with his international coverage however the scope of the order was not instantly identified.

The State Division cable stated efficient instantly, senior officers “shall be sure that, to the utmost extent permitted by regulation, no new obligations shall be made for international help” till Rubio has decided after a evaluation.

It says that for current international help awards stop-work orders shall be issued instantly till reviewed by Rubio.

“That is lunacy,” Jeremy Konyndyk, a former USAID official who’s now president of Refugees Worldwide, stated. “This can kill individuals. I imply, if carried out as written in that cable … lots of people will die.”

“There is no solution to take into account this as a good-faith try and sincerely evaluation the effectiveness of international help programming. That is simply merely a wrecking ball to interrupt as a lot stuff as potential,” Konyndyk stated.

Trump’s order is illegal, argued a supply acquainted discussions in Congress on the transfer.

“Freezing these worldwide investments will lead our worldwide companions to hunt different funding companions – doubtless U.S. rivals and adversaries – to fill this gap and displace the US’ affect the longer this illegal impoundment continues,” the supply stated on situation of anonymity.

WAIVERS

A USAID official, who requested anonymity, stated officers liable for initiatives in Ukraine have been advised to cease all work. Among the many initiatives which were frozen are help to varsities and well being help like emergency maternal care and childhood vaccinations, the official stated.

Throughout the board, “choices whether or not to proceed, modify, or terminate applications can be made” by Rubio following a evaluation over the subsequent 85 days. Till then Rubio can approve waivers. 

Rubio has issued a waiver for emergency meals help, based on the cable. This comes amid a surge of humanitarian assist into the Gaza Strip after a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas started on Sunday and a number of other different starvation crises world wide, together with Sudan.

However Konyndyk stated emergency meals help was only a minority of all humanitarian help, including that diet, well being and vaccination applications should cease, as would reduction assist to Gaza and Syria in addition to companies to refugee camps in Sudan.

“It is manufactured chaos,” stated a former senior official with the U.S. Company for Worldwide Growth (USAID), talking on situation of anonymity.

“Organizations should cease all actions, so all lifesaving well being companies, HIV/AIDS, diet, maternal and youngster well being, all agriculture work, all help of civil society organizations, training,” stated the official.

The State Division cable additionally stated waivers have up to now been authorized by Rubio for “international army financing for Israel and Egypt and administrative bills, together with salaries, essential to administer international army financing.”

Israel receives about $3.3 billion in international army financing yearly, whereas Egypt receives about $1.3 billion

Different states recognized for such financing in 2025 embrace Ukraine, Georgia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Djibouti, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Israel, Egypt and Jordan, based on a request to Congress from former President Joe Biden’s administration.

That request additionally stated international army financing would “additionally search to bolster the Lebanese Armed Forces’ capacity to mitigate instability and counter malign Iranian affect.”

The Lebanese army is at the moment attempting to deploy into the south of the nation as Israeli troops withdraw below a ceasefire deal that requires Iran-backed Hezbollah weapons and fighters to even be faraway from the realm.