A humanitarian waiver to freeze in U.S. foreign aid could offer some relief to Haiti
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio is walking back an almost-total 90-day freeze on U.S. foreign assistance, making an exception for life-saving humanitarian aid, according to a memo the Miami Herald obtained.
2025-01-30 12:43:00 - VI News Staff
The memo said that “implementers of existing life-saving humanitarian assistance programs should continue or resume work if they have stopped” but also warned that “this resumption is temporary.” The memo also said that that the hold on new contracts continues. The waiver, according to the State Department, is among billions of dollars in exemption requests that have been received since the administration hit pause on U.S. foreign assistance, a halt that according to the office of the State Department spokesperson had already prevented $1 billion “in spending not aligned with an America First agenda.”
The State Department confirmed the humanitarian waiver in a question and answer on foreign aid Wednesday, explaining that U.S. tax payers dollars had gone toward condoms, sex education and abortions globally, and family planning throughout Latin America, programs that “do not make America stronger, safer, or more prosperous.” “Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. And that is exactly what we are doing right now – prioritizing America’s core national interests one dollar at a time,” the email from the office of the spokesperson said.
Rubio issued the humanitarian waiver on Tuesday amid outcry by Democratic lawmakers, the United Nations and aid groups around the world that the sweeping pause on billions of dollars in assistance ordered by President Donald Trump would be detrimental to those around the world who depend on the billions of dollars in U.S.-financed life-saving aid.