WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday promoted exemption for foreign aid, saying that the United States will continue to finance humanitarian goods such as shelter and medicine.
President Donald Trump ordered a 90 -day interval to return to the office last week, to assess the help of the United States, the world’s largest donor in terms of dollars.
Rubio practically frozen all the funds and followed it, although it described the exemption for military assistance to Israel and Egypt, along with emergency food.
In a follow -up memo on Tuesday after screaming by relief groups, Rubio made it clear that “humanitarian aid” would also be exempted besides food during the review period.
Rubio wrote in the memo, whose contents were confirmed AFP.
Trump’s move is also affecting the ongoing plans in Pakistan. Although 2024 statistics are not yet available, USAID and other agencies were financing several projects in Pakistan.
The suspension affects five energy projects, four economic growth measures, five agricultural programs, and many others in education and health in Pakistan.
Additionally, funds for democracy, human rights and governance have been declared a review pending. Don Report
One of the affected projects received 16 million Million for early recovery, risk decline, and flexibility (ER4) activities, focusing on strengthening the flexibility of weak populations for destruction caused by natural dangers Was gone
“This is not related to Pakistan. This is an executive order that affects all nations, except Egypt and Israel,” said a senior Pakistani diplomat, the suspension order shows that the aid is again after review. Can start.
“The urgent needs are being met,” State Department spokesman Timi Bruce, writing on the X, said.
“There are blankets for emergency food and other emergency humanitarian aid. And the waiver is available for items that are not included by existing existing.
Bruce said its aim was not in accordance with the Trump administration’s priorities, not to get rid of “extreme” funding and programs.
It identified a part of climate change and gender -related efforts.
“The mandate was clear from the American people,” he said. We should re -focus on US national interests. “
Rescue groups and democratic lawmakers have expressed alarm over the potential frozen consequences of frozen.
The latest waiver will be presented to proceed to provide financial support for medicines, which is a US program against HIV/AIDS.
Founded in 2003 under former President George W. Bush, Pepper has been relieved to save about 26 million lives.
Prior to the latest discount, a joint aid group of Irish singer Bono expressed hope for exemption, but warned that “bureaucratic red tape” could still affect Pepper’s financing.
“Our opponents will benefit this gap in the US -led space and promote information that will damage the trust in the United States and our credibility around the world,” said Elizabeth Halfman, an executive director of North America. Will hurt. “
In a separate development, Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to ban gender transfer procedures for people under the age of 19, targeting transgender people since returning to office Here.
The ruling came a week later when Trump said in his opening speech that his government would recognize only two genders, men and women, and would be plugged into a problem at the center of US culture wars.
The order said, “Today, all over the country, medical professionals are damaging and sterilizing the growing number of impressive children.” This dangerous trend will be a stain on the history of our nation, and it should end. “”
Trump’s ruling has said that it will now be a US policy that it will not fund, support, promote, support, or support the so -called ‘transition’ of the child from one sex to another. “
They also included what they called “chemicals and surgical distortion”-which included puberty blockers, hormones and gender-changing surgery.
It added that the government will now “strictly enforce all the laws that prohibit or restrict or restrict these ways to change life.”
The President later posted on the social platform of his truth, “Our nation will no longer fund, support, promote, to support, to support, to support, to support, to care for the so -called ‘gender verification, or to, which before He has ruined many valuable lives.
Although there is no American vast law against gender -verifying medical treatment for transgender youth, Trump ordered any federal support for such procedures.
This includes banning financing for gender transfer under the Medicated Health Insurance Program for Poor Families, Medicare Scheme used by Retireds, and under the US Department of Health Insurance, which includes some 2 million children. Covered.
Trump said he would also work with the Congress for a draft legislation to allow children and parents to prosecute the doctors who were conducting gender surgery.
Trump told the Davos Forum last week that under his administration, gender surgery “would be very low”.
The Republican -led two dozen states have already enforced laws banning medical care for sexual transfer to minors.
US Supreme Court judges clashed in December when they discussed a Tennessee law that banned puberty blockers or hormone therapy from the U -18s.
