Yunus thanks Trump for continuing food support for Rohingyas
The United States Agency for International Development in a letter to its partners in Bangladesh, referring to US President Donald Trump鈥檚 executive order on holding foreign aid, has asked to suspend any work under the USAID contract and grants here.
鈥楾his letter serves as a directive to all USAID/Bangladesh Implementing Partners to immediately stop, cease,聽 and/or suspend any work performed under your respective USAID/Bangladesh contract, task order, grant, cooperative agreement, or other acquisition or assistance instrument,鈥� said the letter issued by Office of Acquisition and Assistance director聽 Brian Aaron on January 25.
US President Donald Trump recently issued an executive order suspending US aid to all countries for 90 days, excepting Israel and Egypt and emergency food support.
Bangladesh鈥檚 interim government chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has, however, thanked US President Trump for exempting life-saving food and nutrition support to the displaced Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh from the US aid freeze.
鈥極fficials of the US Embassy in Dhaka visited High Representative Khalilur Rahman this afternoon and informed him about this exemption,鈥� said a release from the Chief Adviser鈥檚 press wing.
It said that the chief adviser expressed his sincere thanks to President Trump for exempting life-saving food and nutrition support to the Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh from the US aid freeze.
Asked about the USAID Bangladesh letter, the US embassy in Dhaka referred directly to the executive orders issued by the White House. 聽
鈥楶artners shall take all reasonable steps to minimize the incurrence of costs allocable to their awards. Partners shall not resume work under their awards until notification has been received in writing from the Contracting/Agreement Officer that this award Stop Work Order / Suspension has been canceled,鈥� said the letter of the US government agency that leads international development and humanitarian assistance efforts to partner countries.
Chief adviser鈥檚 press secretary Shafiqul Alam said that the suspension of aid from the USAID would not have a significant impact on Bangladesh. He said that the US assistance for Rohingya refugees would continue.
He clarified that the suspension was for a period of 90 days and that foreign aid to Bangladesh had already been declining for some time.
He also said that over the past seven years, the US had provided US $ 2 billion in assistance to address the Rohingya crisis.
Shafiqul expressed confidence that this aid would continue, and Bangladesh would not be affected by the suspension order.
Additional refugee relief and repatriation commissioner Abu Saleh Mohammad Obaidullah said that they would soon hold a meeting with the United Nations鈥� agencies concerned to assess the US aid suspension for 90 days.
He, however, said that it was obviously a matter of concern if the funding for Rohingyas was reduced as more than 11 lakh displaced people from Myanmar were sheltered in Bangladesh camps.
USAID Bangladesh works in various areas including agriculture and food security, anti-corruption, democracy, human rights, and governance, economic growth and trade, education, environment, energy, and infrastructure, health, humanitarian assistance, nutrition and water and sanitation with local and international partners.
