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U.S. aid agency in turmoil as foreign assistance freeze leads to staff departures


The Trump administration has made significant changes to the U.S. agency responsible for providing humanitarian aid overseas, leading to the placement of senior officials on leave, layoffs of thousands of contractors, and a freeze on billions of dollars in foreign assistance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the pause on foreign assistance, stating that the U.S. government is not a charity. Aid organizations are struggling to continue essential programs, such as providing nutritional support to malnourished infants and children, due to the funding freeze.

There is confusion over which U.S.-funded programs must stop work, with many feeling unable to speak out due to a perceived gag order. The new acting USAID administrator has put senior career staffers on administrative leave for allegedly circumventing the President’s executive orders. Contractors in the agency’s humanitarian bureau were abruptly laid off, causing disruptions in program implementation.

Senator Rubio issued waivers for programs providing life-saving assistance like medicine, food, and shelter, and stressed the need for a program-by-program review to determine which projects align with an “America First” agenda. The State Department has approved some waivers but has also stopped over $1 billion from being spent on programs that do not align with the administration’s priorities.

Despite exemptions for life-saving care, uncertainty remains about which U.S.-funded programs can continue, leading to potential delays in access to medicine and supplies for vulnerable populations. The changes have sparked concern among aid organizations about the impact on global humanitarian efforts.

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