The Trump administration cuts 92% of funding for foreign development aid

According to the president, this repeal of nearly 5800 funding sources will “save nearly 60 billion dollars for taxpayers”.

Trump has thus signed a decree ordering a freeze on American foreign aid for 90 days.

The aim of this humanitarian aid pause: a comprehensive review to assess compliance with Trump’s ‘America First’ policy, particularly against programs promoting abortion, family planning, and diversity.

However, a federal judge, brought in by two organizations consisting of businesses, NGOs, and other beneficiaries of American aid funds, has suspended this decision to freeze expenses approved by Congress.

According to the State Department, once the review of these foreign services is completed, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has decided to retain only 500 fundings granted worldwide by USAID, worth 54 billion dollars.

The State Department reports that among the remaining subsidies, only the ‘vital’ ones remain: food assistance and treatments for patients with AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, as well as for countries like Lebanon, Haiti, Venezuela, and Cuba.

Furthermore, of the 9100 grants worth 15.9 billion dollars awarded by the State Department, 4100 will be abolished, representing about 4.4 billion.

«Women and children will suffer from hunger, food will rot in warehouses, children will be born with HIV, among other tragedies», stated InterAction, an alliance of over 160 NGOs, in a press release.

InterAction urged Marco Rubio to reconsider a decision that “will not make America safer, stronger, or more prosperous.”

«Going through with these cuts will make the world less healthy, less safe and less prosperous. The reduction of America’s humanitarian role and influence will run counter to American interests globally,» stated the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, at the UN.

USAID is an independent agency that manages an annual budget of $42.8 billion, representing 42% of the humanitarian aid disbursed worldwide, reports the media Le Nouvel OBS.