Canada’s Minister of International Development, Ahmed Hussen, announced $272.1 million in new funding on Sunday for foreign aid projects in Bangladesh and the Indo-Pacific region.

“Canada continues to strengthen our enduring friendship with Bangladesh and the wider Indo-Pacific region through our long-standing people-to-people ties,” Hussen said in a statement. “By supporting vulnerable communities’ healthcare services, empowering women, and addressing climate change, we are creating a brighter tomorrow for the global community.”

The new funds, which will be used alongside contributions from other foreign partners and donors, will support 14 different projects in Bangladesh and other countries within the Indo-Pacific region.

This funding commitment marks a sharp contrast to the approach taken by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, which halted funding through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Upon taking office, Trump and his newly appointed government efficiency czar, businessman Elon Musk, froze U.S. foreign aid for 90 days, shutting down aid programs worldwide and causing furloughs for thousands of government employees and contractors.

Trump and his Republican officials viewed foreign aid programs as a misuse of taxpayer money, arguing they supported liberal political agendas. Critics, however, contended that such aid played a crucial role in enhancing American influence globally and countering foreign interference by other nations.