The State Department's memo to "cease operations" issued Friday will require nearly all aid programs around the world to cease operations.
The internal memo, obtained by NPR, expands on President Trump's executive order issued Monday that ordered a 90-day freeze on foreign aid.
The new instructions mean these programs will have to furlough or lay off staff and cease operations until a review determines whether they are consistent with President Donald Trump's foreign policy agenda.
Within 85 days, “a comprehensive government review of all foreign assistance will be completed, and a report will be submitted to the Secretary of State for the President’s consideration and recommendation,” according to a memo signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Exempt from the order: Aid to Israel and Egypt, as well as emergency food aid.
Foreign employees of USAID, the agency primarily responsible for administering humanitarian and development assistance, will not be affected.
But many organizations that receive U.S. development funds are located in countries where they manage and employ both local and American staff. All of these employees risk losing their salaries in the short term and their jobs in the long term.
Reaction from the aid world
A senior USAID official expressed deep concern about the impact of Friday’s order. The official sent a statement to NPR on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on behalf of the agency.
“The order to cease operations is completely reckless,” the statement read. “This stop order will negatively impact not only U.S. foreign aid programs and the intended beneficiaries of these programs, but also the daily lives of the people who deliver this vital aid: those who have families to care for, who have to buy food, pay rent, and whose utilities will be affected. Yes, U.S. foreign aid is desperately needed to be improved, but these draconian measures are counterproductive.”
The leader of a humanitarian organization that partners with USAID told NPR: “They’ve thrown a grenade right in the middle of foreign aid. People’s lives are being put at risk around the world.” The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said his organization would face retaliation for speaking out.
“We will have to pull our personnel out of the area that provides critical services and lay off U.S. staff,” the leader told NPR. “We can’t continue to fund our programs because we don’t know if we’ll be compensated according to our agreements with U.S. agencies.”
Aid experts are warning that the move could have a destabilizing effect on countries where humanitarian aid is vital.
“It’s having seismic, seismic effects on the entire global aid system,” said Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America, a charity that does not receive funding from the U.S. government. “And it’s a really, frankly, cruel decision that has life-or-death consequences for millions of people around the world.”
“What we really need and want is for the stop order to be reversed. Going forward, for our partners, for our networks, for our community, and at the very least, we need clear communication so that people can plan for this terrible new reality,” Maxman said.
.png)
0 Comments