Trump administration suspends aid to Pakistan, others

At least 28 assistance programmes have been affected as the Donald Trump administration in the United States (US) has suspended aid to Pakistan among other countries for 90 days.

According to reports, the move follows a “stop-work” order by the US State Department for all existing foreign assistance.

“It is the policy of the United States that no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States [sic],” read the order.

It, however, allowed an exemption for emergency food assistance and related expenses.

The pause in assistance has affected at least 11 governance programmes, four projects pertaining to the education sector and another four related to healthcare. Five energy projects, four related to economic growth and another five pertaining to agriculture have also been affected.

Funds related to democracy and human rights in Pakistan have also been temporarily halted as a result of the suspension.

The pause in aid risks cutting off billions of dollars of life-saving assistance as the US is the largest single donor of aid globally – disbursing a whopping $72 billion in assistance in 2023.

According to officials, the suspension is temporary and the future of these projects will be decided after reassessing all aid programmes.

The State Department has said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has so far approved waivers for “foreign military financing for Israel and Egypt and administrative expenses, including salaries, necessary to administer foreign military financing”.

 
These include an annual military aid of $3.3 billion to Israel and about $1.3 billion to Egypt.