Trump Suspends Foreign Aid, Including $7.3 Billion to UNRWA, for 90-Day Review

Jan 21, 2025, 05:30 AM

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending all U.S. foreign aid for 90 days to assess its alignment with American foreign policy objectives. Citing concerns that "the United States foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values," the administration has instructed all departments and agencies to pause new obligations and expenditures for foreign assistance programs during the review. The suspension affects aid to countries including Ukraine and funding to organizations such as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which has received over $7.3 billion in U.S. funding. The move aims to ensure that U.S. foreign aid directly benefits American interests and does not support groups linked to terrorism or anti-American agendas.