UN chief expresses ‘concern’ over Trump’s freeze on US international assist

Consultants say Trump administration’s order to halt international help will ‘price many, many lives’.

The pinnacle of the United Nations has expressed concern about President Donald Trump’s resolution to pause international help from the US as his administration promotes its “America First” agenda.

Throughout a information convention on Monday, a spokesman for Antonio Guterres stated the UN secretary-general had famous the coverage change “with concern”.

“He calls for extra exemptions to be thought of to make sure the continued supply of vital growth and humanitarian actions for probably the most weak communities world wide,” Stephane Dujarric informed reporters.

“These lives and livelihoods depend upon this help,” stated Dujarric, including that the US is “one of many largest assist suppliers” on the earth.

“We’re presently mapping out what [the Trump administration’s decision] means and the affect that it could have.”

Trump signed an government order shortly after he was sworn in for a second time period on January 20, ordering all federal authorities companies to enact a 90-day pause on international growth help and to overview current programmes.

“It’s the coverage of United States that no additional United States international help shall be disbursed in a way that’s not absolutely aligned with the international coverage of the President of the US,” the order reads.

Days later, the US State Division stated in a memo that it was suspending nearly all new funding for international assist programmes with exceptions for the nation’s prime Center East allies, Israel and Egypt.

The order on Friday additionally included an exemption for emergency meals help and associated bills.

“President Trump acknowledged clearly that the US is now not going to blindly dole out cash with no return for the American individuals,” the division stated in a press release on Sunday defending the measures.

The assertion additionally affirmed newly confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s help for the Trump-led coverage.

“Reviewing and realigning international help on behalf of hardworking taxpayers is not only the appropriate factor to do, it’s a ethical crucial. The Secretary is proud to guard America’s funding with a deliberate and even handed overview of how we spend international help {dollars} abroad.”

However consultants have slammed the Trump administration’s resolution, saying it would have disastrous penalties for individuals world wide.

A worldwide stop-work order on international assist will price many, many lives if saved in place.As written, it halts ALL ongoing humanitarian reduction actions, besides meals assist, in locations like Syria, Sudan, Gaza.Additionally halts all international well being applications.What it will imply in human phrases:🧵t.co/1nCjZFfBdS

— Jeremy Konyndyk (@jeremykonyndyk.bsky.social) 2025-01-25T03:33:26.842Z

Michael Schiffer, who served because the assistant administrator of the US Company for Worldwide Growth’s (USAID) Asia bureau from 2022 to 2025, stated stopping international assist — even quickly — may have “apparent, predictable outcomes”.

“Youngsters will die. Our nationwide safety will erode. America’s alliances will endure. US companions shall be in danger. And America’s enemies will rejoice,” Schiffer warned in a column for the web site Simply Safety.

Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees Worldwide and an ex-USAID official below former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, additionally stated “a worldwide stop-work order on international assist will price many, many lives if saved in place”.

Konyndyk famous that US international help goes to addressing famine in Sudan, supporting refugees in Africa and Asia, and funding HIV/AIDS remedy programmes world wide.

“It’s no exaggeration in any respect to say that following via on this coverage will kill lots of people,” he wrote on social media.

“It is going to additionally shred US international credibility in a lot of the world, the place our help applications are an enormous share of our nation partnerships.”