Zinger Key Points
- The U.S. foreign aid freeze impacts billions, halting crucial health, education, and development programs worldwide.
- Humanitarian groups warn the freeze could jeopardize lives, especially for vulnerable populations relying on aid.
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The U.S. government’s foreign assistance programs face an unprecedented freeze, which may put millions of lives at risk worldwide.
New Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a sweeping order on Friday to freeze new funding for most U.S. foreign aid, reports CNBC.
However, there are exceptions for emergency food aid and military assistance to Israel and Egypt. This move impacts billions of dollars in foreign aid programs.
The freeze, following an executive order signed earlier in the week by President Donald Trump, will temporarily suspend billions of dollars in U.S. funding for critical programs aimed at supporting health, education, development, job training, and anti-corruption efforts globally.
It also impacts U.S. security assistance to allies and humanitarian relief, including life-saving health initiatives such as HIV/AIDS programs.
The order, sent to U.S. embassies worldwide by Secretary Rubio, comes as a response to Trump’s pledge to limit foreign aid. However, it has drawn sharp criticism from humanitarian organizations, who warn that the freeze could have catastrophic consequences for vulnerable populations.
Among the most affected programs is the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a globally recognized initiative that has saved 25 million lives, including 5.5 million children, since its inception in 2003, CNBC adds.
While emergency food programs, such as those helping millions in famine-stricken Sudan, are exempt from the freeze, health programs like immunization efforts and maternal care are not.
This has led many aid organizations to immediately halt their operations, unsure of how to proceed without funding.
In response, Abby Maxman, head of Oxfam America, called the move “devastating,” emphasizing the “life or death consequences” for children and families in crisis, the report adds. She also criticized the administration’s abandonment of a longstanding bipartisan approach to foreign assistance, which prioritizes need over politics.
The freeze is a part of the broader effort by Republicans, led by Rep. Brian Mast, to scrutinize U.S. foreign aid, ensuring that it aligns with the administration’s policy goals and cuts what they view as unnecessary spending.
As the freeze is enforced, the future of U.S. foreign assistance will be reviewed, with an official report expected within three months.
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