Lifesaving Humanitarian Aid Faces Delays Amid New U.S. Directives

Despite promises of continued support for humanitarian efforts, the Biden administration's recent directives have stalled aid—a setback for those relying on U.S. assistance.

On February 12, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio's announcement of a lifesaving humanitarian aid exemption seemed like a sigh of relief for global health workers. However, a fresh directive has thrown a wrench into these plans, halting further exemptions temporarily. According to an internal email reviewed by the New York Times, employees at the U.S. Agency for International Development (U.S.A.I.D.) Bureau of Global Health received instructions to pause all approvals, indicating uncertainty in the agency’s operations.

U.S.A.I.D. officials, alongside various partners, have struggled to maintain essential services promised by Rubio, which encompass critical medical care, food, and shelter. While some programs received waivers, the agency's payment system—designed for disbursing financial aid, known as Phoenix—has faced accessibility issues for several weeks. This has resulted in significant disruption even for those programs that qualified for waivers.

Furthermore, remarks made by Elon Musk, empowered by President Trump to address these issues, suggested that funding for Ebola and HIV prevention had resumed; however, multiple U.S.A.I.D. employees and aid organizations confirmed that funding in these areas remains frozen. The disconnect between promises and reality highlights a growing crisis for organizations that provide vital support to vulnerable populations around the world, caught in the bureaucratic limbo of U.S. foreign aid directives.