Egypt Daily News – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the cessation of almost all US foreign aid, with the exception of funding to Israel and Egypt, according to an internal memo. Israel and Egypt are among the largest beneficiaries of US military aid.
An internal memo to employees, seen by Agence France-Presse, stated that it is not permissible to commit to any new funding for any entity or extend any current funding, until each new funding or extension is reviewed and approved, in line with President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The memorandum excludes emergency food aid and does not mention Ukraine, which has received under the administration of former President Joe Biden of billions of dollars in aid for defending itself against Russia, which indicates that this aid was also frozen.
This memorandum comes within the framework of an executive order issued by Trump on Monday, the day of his inauguration, which ordered the freeze of US foreign aid for a period of 90 days.
In the memo, the Secretary of State notes that it is impossible for the new administration to assess whether current foreign aid commitments are “duplicated, effective, and consistent with President Trump’s foreign policy.”
According to official figures, the United States is the main provider of humanitarian and development aid in the world, with the allocation of about 1% of the federal government budget for that, which was cherished by former Democratic President Joe Biden.
Biden had requested the budget for 2025 (October to September) approximately $ 42.8 billion to finance foreign aid managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United States Development Agency (USAID). Many non-governmental organizations expressed their concern about the consequences of this freeze, especially in terms of humanitarian and development aid.
Oxfam America President Abby Maxman said in a statement, “The suspension of humanitarian aid casts a shadow of uncertainty over all US humanitarian and development programs, and prevents aid professionals from planning or working in an effective manner.” She considered that this freeze “may have serious consequences for countless children and families who are in a critical situation.”
