By : Lloyd Mahachi
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a remmision on Tuesday for essential humanitarian assistance during a 90-day halt in foreign aid while Washington undertakes a review, according to a State Department memo.
Only a few hours after taking office a week ago, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the pause so foreign aid assistance could be reviewed to see if they align with his “America First” framework.
The enforcement issued on Tuesday for life-saving aid comes after Rubio initially gave an exemption on Friday for emergency food assistance.
Rubio defined critical humanitarian assistance as core life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, supplies and reasonable administrative costs as necessary to extend help.
“This enforcement does not apply to activities that encompass, family planning conferences, administrative costs, gender or DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) ideology programs, transgender surgeries, or other non-life saving assistance,” Rubio’s memo said.
The U.S. foreign aid pause risks cutting off billions of dollars of life-saving assistance. The United States is the largest single donor of aid globally. In fiscal year 2023, it disbursed $72 billion in assistance.
There was initial uncertainty among U.S. lawmakers, aid groups and the United Nations over the depth of Trump’s order. That was partially cleared up on Friday, when the State Department issued a stoppage order for all existing foreign assistance and halted new aid.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for the United States to consider extra exclusions to “ensure continued distribution of essential development and humanitarian activities.”
Editor : Josephine Mahachi
