Support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to Rohingya people living in Bangladesh will continue, Bangladesh chief adviser’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam said on Sunday, according to a report in the Dhaka Tribune.
“US President Donald Trump has temporarily suspended all US foreign assistance programs for the next 90 days through an executive order after taking office. However, assistance for the Rohingya who have taken refuge in Bangladesh will continue.” Alam said at a programme.
USAID on Saturday however froze its funding to the Muhammed Yunus-led interim Bangladesh government for 90 days within a week after Donald Trump was sworn in as the US President for the second time.
USAID in Bangladesh covers areas of climate crisis, aid to Rohingya refugees, human rights to education and health.
According to UNICEF, “more than half a million Rohingya refugee children are living in Bangladesh,” as of 2024.
The USAID move came after the US state department froze nearly all foreign assistance worldwide Saturday following President Trump’s executive order on Monday.
According to the CNN, there will be a waiver only for emergency food assistance and foreign military financing for Israel and Egypt and fresh aid may start after 90 days after a review.
In a letter to all USAID/Bangladesh implementing partners, the aid agency declared “stop-work order”.
Apart from $490 million in 2023 for the development sector, the US government last year promised to send Bangladesh $202 million more in aid.
Signed by Richard B. Aaron, director for the Office of Acquisition & Assistance of USAID, it read:
"This letter serves as a directive to all USAID/Bangladesh Implementing Partners to immediately stop, cease, and/or suspend any work performed under your respective USAID/Bangladesh contract, task order, grant, cooperative agreement, or other acquisition or assistance instrument.”
The letter asked them to “not resume work” until further notification is sent “in writing from the Contracting/Agreement Officer that this award Stop Work Order/Suspension has been canceled.”
The US has been the world’s largest humanitarian donor, and this move will impede development and humanitarian work, to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars worldwide, especially in lower-middle-income countries.
