Sat Jan 25 05:51:58 IST 2025: ## Trump Administration Halts Nearly All New Foreign Aid Funding

**Washington D.C.** – The Trump administration has announced a sweeping freeze on nearly all new funding for foreign assistance programs, sparking outrage from humanitarian organizations and experts who warn of potentially devastating consequences. The State Department order, issued Friday, directs a halt to new obligations for the next three months, with exceptions only for emergency food programs, Israel, and Egypt.

The freeze affects a wide range of programs, including crucial health initiatives like the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has saved an estimated 25 million lives since its inception in 2003. While PEPFAR received a one-year extension until March 2025, its future is now uncertain, falling within the three-month freeze window. Other health programs providing vital services are also impacted.

The decision exempts military aid to Israel and Egypt, two major recipients of US assistance, despite ongoing concerns about their human rights records. Notably, aid to Ukraine, heavily reliant on US support in its war against Russia, is not explicitly exempted.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in an accompanying memo, instructed officials to minimize new foreign assistance commitments, allowing for a review and potential termination of programs within the three-month period. This has led to immediate work stoppages on various aid projects globally.

Critics have condemned the move, arguing it contradicts longstanding bipartisan support for foreign aid and threatens global stability. Abby Maxman of Oxfam America stated the freeze “threatens the lives and futures of communities in crisis.” Former USAID official Jeremy Konyndyk called the decision “lunacy,” warning that the full implementation of the freeze will result in significant loss of life.

The US spent over $60 billion on foreign aid in 2023, representing approximately 1% of government spending. The impact of this unprecedented freeze on vulnerable populations worldwide remains to be seen.

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