Washington: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a waiver on Tuesday allowing life-saving humanitarian assistance to continue during a 90-day pause in foreign aid, according to a State Department memo seen by Reuters. The waiver follows a broader review initiated by Washington to assess foreign aid allocations under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Trump announced the foreign aid pause just hours after taking office last week, stating that contributions must be reassessed to align with his “America First” foreign policy. The move has sparked concerns among aid organizations and international bodies about potential disruptions in critical assistance programs.
The latest waiver, issued by Rubio, expands on an exemption granted last Friday for emergency food aid. Rubio defined life-saving humanitarian assistance as including essential medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, along with reasonable administrative costs necessary for aid delivery.
“This waiver does not apply to activities that involve abortions, family planning conferences, administrative costs … gender or DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) ideology programs, transgender surgeries, or other non-life-saving assistance,” Rubio stated in the memo.
The suspension of foreign aid threatens to cut off billions of dollars in critical assistance, as the United States remains the world’s largest single donor. In the 2023 fiscal year, the U.S. disbursed $72 billion in foreign aid.
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Initially, there was confusion among U.S. lawmakers, aid organizations, and the United Nations regarding the scope of Trump’s directive. Clarity emerged on Friday when the State Department issued a “stop-work” order halting all ongoing foreign assistance programs and suspending new aid commitments, according to a cable seen by Reuters.
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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday urged the United States to consider additional exemptions to “ensure continued delivery of critical development and humanitarian activities.”