Trump Halts Nearly All Foreign Aid, Except Food Aid, Israel and Egypt Military Support

The United States has frozen nearly all foreign aid, with exceptions limited to emergency food assistance and military funding for Israel and Egypt, according to a memo issued on Friday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The decision aligns with President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, announced shortly after his return to office, and marks a significant shift in US foreign policy.

The memo orders a halt on new foreign aid commitments and the extension of existing programmes until they undergo case-by-case review. This freeze affects development assistance, anti-HIV/AIDS initiatives, and military aid, including billions previously provided to Ukraine under former President Joe Biden to counter Russian aggression.

Notable exceptions include military funding for Israel, whose aid packages have expanded since the Gaza war, and Egypt, a long-standing US ally since its 1979 peace treaty with Israel. Emergency food assistance for crisis-hit nations, such as Sudan and Syria, is also exempt from the freeze.

The move casts uncertainty over the future of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program launched in 2003 under George W. Bush. PEPFAR has saved an estimated 26 million lives by providing anti-retroviral drugs to combat HIV/AIDS, primarily in Africa. Critics warn the suspension could disrupt access to life-saving medication for millions.

Democratic lawmakers expressed alarm, emphasising the humanitarian and strategic implications of the freeze. Representatives Gregory Meeks and Lois Frankel warned that withdrawing foreign aid could harm US credibility in the face of rival nations such as China, Russia, and Iran.

“More than 20 million people rely on PEPFAR for treatment, and 63 million depend on US-funded anti-malaria efforts,” the lawmakers wrote in a joint letter. “Now our credibility is on the line, and it appears we will cut and run from American commitments to our partners around the world.”

The State Department memo outlines plans for an 85-day review of all foreign assistance programmes to ensure alignment with Trump’s foreign policy objectives. Rubio defended the freeze as necessary to eliminate duplication and assess the effectiveness of aid programmes.

Critics, including the anti-poverty organisation Oxfam, condemned the decision as a dangerous abandonment of US humanitarian commitments.

The freeze represents a dramatic departure from the United States’ role as the world’s largest donor in dollar terms, contributing over $64 billion in overseas development assistance in 2023, according to the OECD. Humanitarian advocates warn that the shift could undermine decades of progress in global development and humanitarian relief.