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Add to Preferred SourcesUS spending on overseas aid is expected to bear the brunt of dramatic cuts as part of Donald Trump’s plan to increase defense spending by $54bn in his upcoming budget.
The US operates the largest and most expansive overseas aid program in the world, with a proposed federal spend of $50.1bn (£40.3bn) for 2017 alone. More than $18bn of that is made up of economic and development assistance, commonly referred to as humanitarian aid. A further $8.1bn was due to go towards security assistance. The largest single intended recipient of economic and development assistance for this year is Afghanistan ($1bn), followed by Jordan ($632.4m) and Ethiopia ($512.6m).
Alarm bells are also likely to be ringing at the UN, where officials were already on alert after reports that a draft order would usher in 40% cuts to US voluntary contributions to international bodies. US legislators have long complained that the US contribution, at 22% of the main UN budget and nearly 29% of peacekeeping operation costs, is disproportionate.
Question marks are also likely to now hover over the US stance on providing resources to urgent humanitarian emergencies. The US had been expected to make up the bulk of further efforts to answer an appeal by humanitarian bodies and the UN for $1.5bn needed this year to prevent a famine Africa’s stricken Lake Chad region. It is currently a third of the way to completion following pledges at a conference on Oslo by European governments and some others.
Source: The Guardian. Read full article.
27 February, 2017