Trump pauses US foreign development aid for 90 days pending review

21/1/2025 13:21

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday ordered a 90-day pause in foreign development assistance pending assessments of efficiencies and consistency with his foreign policy.



"All department and agency heads with responsibility for United States foreign development assistance programs shall immediately pause new obligations and disbursements of development assistance funds," read the executive order signed by Trump just hours after he took office for a second term.



It was not immediately clear how broad the order was and what programs, countries, non-governmental organizations and international organizations would be effected by the move.



It was also unclear what funding could be cut given the U.S. Congress sets the federal U.S. government budget.



The executive order echoes a return to the approach Trump took during his first term in office between 2017 and 2021.



He first came to power proposing to cut about a third off U.S. diplomacy and aid budgets, which included steep reductions in funding for U.N. peacekeeping and international organizations. But Congress pushed back on Trump's proposals.