The government of the United States recently announced a freeze on all foreign development assistance programs, which will last for 90 days and is likely to have a particularly catastrophic impact in countries like Uganda, which depend on the country’s aid through various sectors like health, education, and infrastructure.

The January memorandum ordered by US President Donald Trump provided instructions that all United States government agencies in charge of foreign assistance immediately stop the disbursal of new funds to foreign governments, nongovernmental organizations, international bodies, and contractors. This is supposed to give way to undertaking a thorough review of the effectiveness of such programs as well as the conformity of the activities with US foreign policy goals.

This review, led by the U.S. Secretary of State and the Office of Management and Budget, shall determine whether such programs should be continued, modified, or terminated. The Agencies shall submit recommendations to the Secretary of State within this 90-day period, and the Secretary shall then make final decisions regarding the future of the paused programs.

For Uganda, however, this development presents a real cause for alarm, as US foreign aid-including USAID funding-has been its mainstay of socio-economic development. American assistance has underpinned everything from HIV/AIDS prevention under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, better known as PEPFAR, to the improvement of education, agricultural productivity, and democratic governance.

The health sector, especially, has relied heavily on the funds from USAID for critical services such as immunization programs and the fight against infectious diseases like malaria and tuberculosis. The sudden funding freeze creates uncertainty for healthcare providers, development partners, and millions of Ugandans who benefit from these programs.

While the hold aims to make certain that the U.S.’s foreign assistance is serving its purpose, it has left Ugandan stakeholders anxious over whether all crucial programs would be resumed as previously carried out or face major reductions. It is not yet clear which activities will move forward and at what levels, or which might receive permanent cuts.

Although the executive order allows funding to be resumed within less than 90 days, this can happen only if particular programs pass review and are approved to continue. However, that too has to be finally approved by the U.S. Secretary of State-an added bureaucracy in the process.

As Uganda and other affected countries await further clarification, many development experts warn that prolonged delays or cuts in funding could disrupt essential services and stall progress in key sectors. For now, Uganda remains on edge, hoping that its most vital programs will survive the review process and regain U.S. support.