WASHINGTON – The United States has confirmed the suspension of aid to Pakistan, disrupting several projects in the South Asian country.
Reports citing a US official stated that the aid to Pakistan will remain suspended until a review is completed.
Following the decision, work has come to a standstill on five projects in the energy sector, four related to economic growth, and five programs in the agricultural sector. Furthermore, funds related to democracy, human rights, and governance have also been temporarily suspended.
It has affected 11 programs in governance, four in education, and four in the health sector.
The foreign aid to several countries was suspended by President Donald Trump soon after his inauguration in order to reevaluating and realigning US foreign aid.
Trump in his order stated that the US foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values.
“They serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries,” read the order.
The foreign aid has been suspended for 90-day pause for assessment of programmatic efficiencies and consistency with US 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 to foreign countries and implementing non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and contractors pending reviews of such programs for programmatic efficiency and consistency with United States foreign policy, to be conducted within 90 days of this order,” read official statement.
New obligations and disbursements of foreign development assistance funds may resume for a program prior to the end of the 90-day period if a review is conducted.
