In brief
Aid workers are increasingly frustrated as new directives from the Biden administration have stalled lifesaving initiatives previously assured by the Secretary of State.
On February 12, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had promised vital humanitarian work would continue despite foreign aid freezes. However, an alarming new directive has put those exemptions on indefinite hold. In a troubling development, employees from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were informed via email to cease any new aid approvals until they receive further orders from the acting chief of staff, as indicated in a document reviewed by The New York Times.Similar communications were relayed within senior ranks at the Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs during a recent meeting, according to sources familiar with the discussions. This announcement sent shockwaves through the global health community, who were left hoping for operational continuity in delivering critical assistance — including medical services, food security, and shelter — as promised by Rubio. Although some programs managed to receive waivers allowing them to carry on with what Rubio described as “lifesaving” aid, the situation remains precarious. The payments system referred to as Phoenix, which USAID uses to facilitate financial transactions, has faced functionality issues for weeks, further complicating efforts to disburse funds even for those programs that had secured waivers.Comment requests sent to the State Department went unanswered, raising further concerns about operational transparency. Simultaneously, President Trump’s endorsement of tech mogul Elon Musk to tackle aid issues yields incongruent reports; Musk claimed funding for Ebola and HIV prevention had been resumed. However, inside sources from USAID and various aid organizations contradict this, suggesting that such funding continues to be withheld.With the flow of international aid halted, concerns abound that vulnerable populations will bear the brunt of these bureaucratic hurdles, emphasizing the urgent need for reform and support in the humanitarian aid landscape.
