The Trump administration published $ 5.3 billion in previously frozen foreign aid, mainly for security and anterarcotic programs, according to a list of exemptions reviewed by Reuters that included only a limited humanitarian relief. The International Security and Non -Proliferation Office focused on preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, received 17 exemptions worth more than $ 30.4 million, the list showed. It was also published $ 397 million for a program backed by the United States in Pakistan with nuclear weapons that a Congress assistant said he monitored the use of Islamabad of F-16 combat aircraft manufactured by the United States to ensure that they are employed for anti-terrorist operations and Not against rival India. President Donald Trump ordered a 90 -day break about foreign aid shortly after assuming the position on January 20, stopping the funds for everything, from programs that fight against hunger and mortal diseases to provide shelters for millions of displaced people worldwide. Freezing caused a struggle for American officials and humanitarian organizations for exemptions to maintain the programs underway. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has said that all foreign assistance must be aligned with Trump’s "America first" The priorities issued exemptions at the end of January in military aid to Israel and Egypt, the main allies of the United States in the Middle East and for humanitarian aid that save life, including food. Exemptions meant that these funds should have been spent. However, current and previous US officials and help organizations say few exemptions of humanitarian aid. Reuters obtained a list of 243 additional exceptions approved as of February 13 for a total of $ 5.3 billion. The list provides the most complete accounting of exempt funds since Trump ordered the freezing of aid and reflects the desire of the White House to reduce the aid for programs that does not consider vital for the national security of the United States. The list identifies programs that will be financed and the United States government office that manages them. The vast majority of funds released, more than $ 4.1 billion, were for programs administered by the Office of Political-Military Affairs of the United States Department of State, which supervises weapons sales and military assistance to other countries and groups. Other exemptions were in line with Trump’s immigration repression and efforts to stop the flow of illicit narcotics in the United States, including mortal opioid fentanyl. More than half of the programs that will be allowed to advance are administered by the International Narcotics Narcotics Office and application of the State Department Law, or INL, and aim to help combat drug trafficking and illicit migration to The United States, according to the list. These exemptions were worth $ 293 million and included funds for databases to track migrants, identify possible terrorists and share biometric information. A state department spokesman did not respond to a request for comments. Reuters could not determine if some exemptions had been granted, but they were not on the list. Trump has long criticized foreign aid, which has averaged less than 2% of the total federal expenditure during the last 20 years, according to the non -partisan committee of a responsible federal budget. Trump has described the United States "foreign aid industry" as "In many antithetical cases to US values". The Elf Government Efficiency Department Elon Musk has led an effort to destroy the United States Agency for International Development, the main delivery mechanism for US foreign assistance and a critical tool in the United States. "Soft power" To gain influence abroad. Unlike security related programs, USAID programs received less than $ 100 million in exemptions, according to the list. That is compared to approximately $ 40 billion in USAID programs administered annually before freezing. USAID exempt programs included $ 78 million for non -food humanitarian assistance in Gaza, which has been devastated by war. $ 56 million was launched for the International Red Cross Committee related to the high fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, showed the list. The list did not include specific exemptions for some of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, including Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Myanmar and Afghanistan, which means that the funds for those places seemed to remain detained. Security exemptions included $ 870 million for programs in Taiwan, $ 336 million to modernize the Philippine security forces and more than $ 21.5 million for the body’s armor and armored vehicles for the National Police and the border guards of Ukraine, showed The list. The largest exemption without security was $ 500 million in Pepfar funds, the United States emblematic program that fights HIV/AIDS, which mainly finances medical care services in Africa and is attributed to saving millions of lives . That compares to the annual Pepfar budget in 2024 of $ 6.5 billion. Pepfar is administered by the Global Health Office of the State Department.
