In line with its “America First” policy, the newly sworn-in Donald Trump administration has ordered a freeze on all foreign aid, with exceptions for Israel and Egypt. The freeze includes development and military assistance, with an internal review of all foreign aid commitments underway.

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• Foreign aid freeze impacts all countries except Israel and Egypt.
• Emergency food assistance and administrative expenses allowed on a case-by-case basis.
• Israel exempted due to its long-standing defense ties, bolstered further after the Gaza war.
• Egypt excluded due to historic defense funding linked to its 1979 peace treaty with Israel.
• Aid to Ukraine, which received billions for its defense under Biden, paused indefinitely.
• PEPFAR, the US’s flagship anti-HIV/AIDS initiative, also impacted; pause expected for months.
• Memo mandates an 85-day review of all foreign assistance for effectiveness and duplication.
• US remains top global donor in dollar terms, with $64 billion given in 2023 per OECD data.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the freeze aligns aid with Trump’s foreign policy priorities.
• European nations donate more as a percentage of GDP but less in absolute dollar terms than the US.