Key development projects halted as US suspends aid to Pakistan

The administration of US President Donald Trump has temporarily suspended aid to Pakistan, disrupting key development projects in the energy and agriculture sectors.

In recent days, the United States temporarily halted nearly all foreign aid programs, including those to Ukraine, Taiwan, and Jordan. These suspensions, initially set for a period of 90 days, have caused widespread disruptions.

The US State Department issued an order to all diplomatic and consular missions, instructing them to immediately suspend aid programs and halt any related activities.

As a result of this directive, a project under the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation has been paused, along with five key energy sector projects.

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Additionally, the suspension has impacted four economic growth programs and five initiatives in the agriculture sector. Funding related to democracy, human rights, and governance has also been put on hold.

The freeze extends to 11 programs in governance, four in education, and four in the health sector, causing further setbacks in development initiatives.

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US officials are expected to re-evaluate these programs before deciding whether to continue them.

Right after assuming office, the new US administration froze virtually all foreign aid, making exceptions only for emergency food and military funding for Israel and Egypt. 

New Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, shared an internal memo of the latest policy that tightly restricts overseas assistance. 

“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,” revealed an internal memo, as reported by the France-based news agency AFP.

The anti-poverty group Oxfam criticised the Trump-led administration's action, stating it was a long-standing consensus in United States foreign assistance. 

“Humanitarian and development assistance accounts for only around one percent of the federal budget; it saves lives, fights diseases, educates millions of children and reduces poverty,” Oxfam America president Abby Maxman said in a statement.