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President Trump backed off a memo calling to pause trillions of dollars in payments to Americans, but an order to suspend foreign aid remains in effect. And people feeling that include some in Afghanistan. Here's NPR's Diaa Hadid.
DIAA HADID, BYLINE: Last week, the State Department effectively froze U.S. aid-funded projects around the world while a review takes place to see if they align with the new administration's agenda. Emergency food aid was exempted. Days later, the Afghan deputy economic minister said around 50 charities had partially suspended or halted their work.
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ABDUL LATIF NAZARI: (Speaking Dari).
HADID: The deputy minister, Abdul Latif Nazari, said those charities were providing humanitarian aid, health care and education.
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NAZARI: (Speaking Dari).
HADID: This comes at a tough time. About 15 million people - a third of all Afghans - mostly women and children, are malnourished, even starving. The World Food Program only had enough money last year to help less than half those people. And much of their funding comes from the U.S. It's not clear how much of that money can still be spent. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signed a memo saying projects that delivered life-saving humanitarian assistance would be exempted from the suspension. But one official told NPR that, for now, most U.S. aid work in Afghanistan is still suspended.
Amid the uncertainty in Afghan bazaars, the prices of items like bread flour, cooking oil and rice have been rising. It's created hardship to folks who are barely getting by, like 48-year-old Aqlima. She asks we only use her first name. She's worried the Taliban will identify her. She says items she could once afford are now out of reach, like a gallon of cooking oil. The price is increased by $5. It's a lot of money in Afghanistan. She purchased a new wood heater a few months ago. Now, she can't afford firewood.
AQLIMA: (Speaking Dari).
HADID: She says, "We can only afford to breathe."
AQLIMA: (Speaking Dari).
HADID: Diaa Hadid, NPR News, Mumbai, with Fazelminallah Qazizai in Kabul and Fariba Akbari in Paris.
(SOUNDBITE OF LOFI AND LOFI HIPHOP'S "TONIGHT") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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