Many global NGO programs in limbo during Trump’s foreign aid freeze
Many global NGO programs in limbo during Trump’s foreign aid freeze
The Trump administration may have rescinded an order freezing federal grants, but it appears the State Department’s suspension of foreign aid is still in effect. Most of the aid was put on pause for a 90-day review. In the meantime, aid groups say lives could be on the line.
The State Department did make some exceptions to its freeze on foreign aid. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a waiver allowing deliveries of things like life-saving medicine, food and shelter. But most U.S. foreign aid is still suspended, according to Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International.
He’s worried that people will die because vital health programs are on hold. “Battling TB, all sorts of global health activities — safe motherhood activities, safe childbirth are also still suspended,” he said.
There’s a lot of confusion over what programs are covered by Secretary Rubio’s waiver and can restart.
The nonprofit Church World Service supports tens of thousands of refugees in Africa. George Devendorf, its senior director of external relations, said they get more than half of their total funding from the federal government.
And right now, “the only thing that we are truly confident in is that we have been instructed to stop work on our U.S.-government funded programs,” Devendorf said.
He said that he understands the need for periodic reviews of foreign aid. But with the funding cut off during the review process, “it remains to be seen how intensive reviews will be done of programs that — by the time the reviewer arrives — may have frankly already disbanded.”
Devendorf added that his organization now has to decide how and whether it can maintain local staffers on the ground in Africa.
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