By Humeyra Pamuk and Daphne Psaledakis
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. State Department issued a “stop-work” order on Friday for all existing foreign assistance and paused new aid, according to a cable seen by Reuters, after President Donald Trump ordered a pause to review if aid allocation was aligned with his foreign policy.
The cable, drafted by the Department’s foreign assistance office and approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said waivers have been issued for military financing for Israel and Egypt. No other countries were mentioned in the cable.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Newsletter: The YodelTrusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox
See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories.
The move 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.
Just hours after taking office on Monday, Trump ordered a 90-day pause in foreign development assistance pending a review of efficiencies and consistency with his foreign policy but the scope of the order was not immediately known.
The State Department cable said effective immediately, senior officials “shall ensure that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, no