KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The new US administration has reportedly suspended nearly all foreign aid, including its humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, for at least three months.
As reported by Reuters, the US Department of State issued a “stop work” order on Friday for almost all ongoing foreign assistance and paused new aid, following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his inauguration day.
Hours after taking office on Monday, Trump ordered a 90-day pause in foreign development assistance to review its efficiency and alignment with his foreign policy, although the scope of the order was not immediately clear.
In an internal memo seen by Reuters, newly appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered an immediate halt to foreign aid, with the exception of military assistance to Israel and Egypt. “No other countries were mentioned in the cable,” the report stated.
This move risks cutting off billions of dollars in life-saving aid. As the world’s largest donor, the US contributes tens of billions of dollars each year. In 2023 alone, the US reportedly disbursed $72 billion in global assistance.
Despite ending its diplomatic and military presence in Afghanistan, the US remained the largest donor to the country, providing over $3.3 billion since its withdrawal and the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, according to SIGAR.
This decision comes at a time when Afghanistan, under Taliban control, is grappling with one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. According to the UN, nearly 23 million people, mainly women and children, need life-saving assistance this year.
Earlier this week, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), a major humanitarian organization, warned that Trump’s decision would have “immediate and disastrous” consequences for Afghanistan, where relief operations are already struggling to meet the demand.
“A 90-day suspension of all aid, no new grants, no new transfer of funding, will have disastrous consequences immediately … for an already starved aid operation for very poor and vulnerable girls and women and civilians in Afghanistan,” Jan Egeland, the NRC chief, told Reuters.
Humanitarian agencies in Afghanistan have faced significant funding shortfalls in recent years, as global attention has shifted to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The UN’s $3.06 billion appeal for Afghanistan in 2024 remained severely underfunded, with less than 40% of the funds secured.
