Amidst Suspension of Aid, the U.S. Exempts Vital Humanitarian Assistance

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a permit on Tuesday for the provision of vital humanitarian assistance during the 90-day suspension of foreign aid. This permit comes as Washington claims it is meticulously reviewing previous aid. This new development is noted in a memo from the U.S. State Department that Reuters has seen. U.S. President Donald Trump stated hours after taking office last week that U.S. foreign aid would be temporarily halted to assess whether this aid aligns with his foreign policy, known as 'America First.' The permit issued on Tuesday for providing vital humanitarian assistance during this 90-day period follows Rubio's initial exemption for emergency food aid considered on Friday. The Secretary of State defined vital humanitarian assistance to include life-saving essential medicines, medical services, food, shelter, livelihood assistance, equipment, and reasonable administrative costs for delivering this aid. He emphasized in his memo that this exemption does not include activities related to abortion, family planning conferences, administrative costs... programs related to gender or the ideology of 'diversity, equity, and inclusion,' gender reassignment surgeries, or other non-essential assistance. The suspension of U.S. foreign aid poses a risk of cutting off billions of dollars in vital assistance. The United States is the largest foreign aid donor in the world, providing $72 billion in aid in the fiscal year 2023. The U.S. has halted existing foreign aid and suspended new assistance. The World Health Organization has called for continued U.S. support in the area of HIV treatment. Marco Rubio's trip to Central America aims to curb illegal immigration. Israel: Trump invited Netanyahu to the White House next week.