The United States has suspended aid to Pakistan, temporarily halting several key projects while officials review whether the allocation of aid aligns with President Donald Trump’s foreign policy objectives.
This decision, announced shortly after President Trump issued an executive order to pause foreign assistance for evaluation, has affected 11 governance programs in Pakistan, along with projects under the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP).
The move follows a “stop-work” directive issued by the US State Department on Friday, which paused all ongoing foreign assistance and put a hold on new aid.
According to a cable seen by Reuters, the State Department’s foreign assistance office drafted this directive, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved it.
The document mentions that officials granted waivers for military financing to two Middle Eastern countries, including Egypt, but did not specify any other nations.
The suspension impacts various sectors in Pakistan, including five energy projects, four focused on economic growth, five in agriculture, four in education, and four in health.
Additionally, funds for initiatives related to democracy, human rights, and governance have also been temporarily stopped.
This decision carries significant implications, as the United States is the largest single donor of foreign aid globally.
In fiscal year 2023, the US provided $72 billion in assistance. The pause threatens to disrupt billions of dollars in critical aid, some of which is life-saving.
Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International and a former USAID official, strongly criticized the decision, stating, “This is lunacy. This will kill people. I mean, if implemented as written in that cable … a lot of people will die.”
He further added, “There’s no way to consider this as a good-faith attempt to sincerely review the effectiveness of foreign assistance programming. This is just simply a wrecking ball to break as much stuff as possible.”
US officials will determine whether to resume these programs after the review is completed, but the temporary suspension has already sparked concern over its potential impact on vulnerable communities and critical development initiatives.
