US Mission In India Begins 'Review' Of Aid As Donald Trump Govt Orders 'Catastrophic' Funding Freeze
Date
1/26/2025 5:01:10 AM
(MENAFN- Live Mint) The US Mission in India has begun a 'review' of its current aid policies following changes in White House policy. The newly appointed Donald trump administration froze almost all foreign aid this week as part of its America First initiative. The memo shared on Friday also called for an internal review of all foreign assistance within 85 days.
"No new funds shall be obligated for new awards or extensions of existing awards until each proposed new award or extension has been reviewed and approved," said an internal memo by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that was seen by AFP.
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Exceptions have been made for military assistance to Israel and Egypt as well as US contributions to emergency food assistance. The memo also allows the State Department to make other case-by-case exceptions and temporarily to fund salaries to staff and other administrative expenses.
How will the funding freeze affect India?
According to an Indian Express report quoting officials, the US Embassy is now undertaking a review to ensure that existing grants“comply with executive orders”. The move is likely to affect a slew of programs run by the American embassy and the United States Agency for International Development - pertaining to environment, health and more.
What comes under the order?
The sweeping order appears to affect everything from development assistance to military aid - including to Ukraine. Kyiv has received billions of dollars in weapons under the previous Joe Biden administration as it tries to repel a Russian invasion .
The directive also means a pause of at least several months of US funding for PEPFAR, the anti-HIV/AIDS initiative that buys anti-retroviral drugs to treat the disease in developing countries, largely in Africa. Lawmakers from the rival Democratic Party said that more than 20 million people relied on medication through PEPFAR and 63 million people on US-funded anti-malaria efforts including nets.
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