The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), one of the largest official aid agencies in the world, has been told to stop projects in Ukraine following a 90-day foreign aid freeze imposed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ukrainian media Suspilne reported, citing sources in the agency, on Jan. 26.
The sweeping directive took immediate effect on Jan. 24, leaving many aid agencies in limbo as they were told to stop work on existing projects while the U.S. audits foreign aid programs.
Initially, senior diplomats in the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs requested a full waiver to exclude USAID operations in Ukraine, citing national security concerns.
However, an anonymous USAID employee told Suspilne that the agency was still ordered to halt its projects and spending on them. Employees don’t have clear instructions on how to carry this out or if there are some exceptions, the source said.
USAID is heavily involved in Ukraine’s wartime needs and has provided over $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and $30 billion in direct budgeting support since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Already, some of the projects that USAID funds are pausing their work. Ivona Kostyna, the co-founder of Veteran Hub which offers services to veterans, said the organization had to close operations in Vinnytsia because of the directive.
“For our clients, this includes professional legal and psychological consultations, support in finding a job, educational and grant opportunities, personal support at every stage of their journey online and in person in Vinnytsia,” Kostyna wrote on Facebook.
The freeze has left hundreds of foreign aid contracts, valued at over $70 billion in the 2022 fiscal year, in limbo as a review process unfolds over the next 85 days, according to the Financial Times. Ukrainian officials and NGOs warned that the pause could jeopardize critical initiatives, including support for schools, hospitals, and infrastructure development.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that military aid to Ukraine is not affected, during a press conference with Moldovan President Maia Sandu on Jan. 25.
Abbey Fenbert
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