The Emergency Humanitarian Waiver to Foreign Assistance Pause, linked here, allows certain life-saving humanitarian assistance programs to continue despite a temporary pause on most U.S. foreign aid. This waiver, issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, ensures that programs providing core life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance can proceed. However, it excludes activities like abortions, family planning, gender or DEI ideology programs, transgender surgeries, and other non-life-saving assistance. While the waiver offers hope that the process is starting to work, the details leave many implementers wondering if certain activities under their contract, grant, or COAG are covered. Waiver-based lifting of suspensions and Stop Work Orders should be conveyed by COs/AOs.
Read the State Department announcement here.
