As humanitarian officials warn people could die as a result of Trump’s foreign aid halt, Rubio issues new waiver

CNN —
Officials inside and outside of the US government are grappling with the fallout of the Trump administration’s sudden suspension of almost all foreign aid with some humanitarian officials warning that people will die as a result.
The sweeping directive from Secretary of State Marco Rubio to pause nearly all US aid brought scores of programs – from global health to emergency shelter to countertrafficking – to a halt.
The “unprecedented” scale of the directive left aid organizations scrambling as they struggle to get clear answers from the US government, more than half a dozen humanitarian officials told CNN.
The freeze on foreign aid was outlined in a diplomatic cable from Rubio on Friday. That cable called for immediate stop work orders on existing efforts, a suspension of the disbursement of funds, and a hold on future projects, pending a review. It only specifically outlined emergency food assistance and foreign military financing for Israel and Egypt as exemptions.
On Tuesday, Rubio issued a temporary waiver for existing “life-saving humanitarian assistance” programs, to include “core life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, as well as supplies and reasonable administrative costs.”
However, a number of humanitarian officials said they had not yet been officially informed of this waiver and, as such, their work remains paused.
It is not clear how quickly organizations could restart the work that had been put on hold and which specific programs are included in the exemption.
“Implementers of existing life-saving humanitarian assistance programs should continue or resume work if they have stopped,” said the waiver, a copy of which was seen by CNN. But until the organizations and contractors are given official guidance, they cannot resume their work.
The waiver specified that it does not apply to “activities that involve abortions, family planning conferences … gender or DEl ideology programs, transgender surgeries, or other non-life saving assistance.” It noted that “Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) may only be used to support activities” that fall under the category of life-saving humanitarian assistance “and for repatriation of third country nationals to their country of origin or safe-third-country.” It said that additional waivers could be sought through the State Department.
On Wednesday, the State Department said in a note to reporters it had issued a waiver “for humanitarian aid, which is defined as ‘life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, as well as supplies and reasonable administrative costs as necessary to deliver such assistance.’”
The note also claimed that “critical national security waivers have been granted, including to ensure the protection of U.S. personnel overseas, facilitate the repatriation of illegal aliens, enforce non-proliferation obligations, and much more.”
Marco Rubio speaks after he is sworn in as Secretary of State by U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, U.S., January 21, 2025. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Days after Rubio’s initial directive, the impact of the aid freeze is already being felt, as humanitarian officials warned it could have catastrophic implications. One predicted that if the suspension continued for two more weeks, thousands could die.
The freeze is also impacting the US economy, as large amounts of foreign aid are actually used to employ US-based personnel. Scores of USAID contractors have been laid off or furloughed because of the freeze, sources said. If the freeze continues, it could cause a huge number of organizations doing the work to close permanently, as they are not receiving the funding to keep their employees. It could also cause organizations to renege on contracts with staff and foreign governments.
Although officials have attempted to get answers through lawmakers and others, they said they have been met with silence or conflicting answers. Many US officials, they said, now fear retribution from Trump administration officials if they are seen as questioning or attempting to evade the halt. On Monday, nearly 60 USAID senior staff were put on sudden paid leave, with the agency acting head telling staff they “identified several actions within USAID that appeared designed to circumvent the President’s Executive Orders and the mandate from the American people.”
In Gaza, where a tenuous ceasefire is holding, officials said the freeze almost certainly means that not all of the 600 aid trucks meant to enter the enclave daily, as specified in the agreement, will be able to reach those in need. One official said their organization has trucks sitting at the border and inside Gaza, but they did not know if their staff is permitted to deliver the assistance on those trucks.
Another official said early Tuesday that they have had to temporarily suspend work to provide tens of thousands of Gazans with hygiene kits, emergency shelters, and water system rehabilitation and water trucking – because even though emergency food assistance had a specific waiver, water did not.
“Everything for water is suspended. Everything for shelter is suspended,” they told CNN.
Another humanitarian official told CNN that because of the stop work orders, their organization could not distribute vaccines that they already had in stock.
They’ve also had to suspend nutrition programs, along with their work to treat HIV/AIDS and to provide maternal and child health care.
“The impact is that people aren’t getting treatment, they’re not getting care,” they said.
The freeze goes beyond just humanitarian and public health services. It has frozen funding used to clear landmines and to train partners on countering the trade of illicit narcotics and human trafficking. It has stopped assistance to allies such as Ukraine and Taiwan.
Humanitarian officials noted that the administration could have reviewed existing projects without putting a stop to the work.
“That’s the most troubling part, it’s being implemented in a way that that is putting people’s lives at risk in and it didn’t have to be,” one said.
They also noted the freeze flies in the face of Rubio’s stated priorities of making the US safer and more prosperous.
“From an economic perspective, from a national security perspective, from humanitarian perspective, this is making America less safe, less prosperous and less secure,” one official said.
Some said that it has already created the perception among communities that the US cannot be trusted to keep its commitments. Others have noted that without the US’ presence, other countries like China or groups will look to step into that vacuum.
CNN’s Alexander Marquardt contributed to this report.
This headline and story have been updated with additional reporting.