After Donald Trump froze nearly all U.S. foreign aid last week, international projects on health, education, food, and all other humanitarian areas were placed in jeopardy. On Tuesday night, newly confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio tried to undo some of the confusion by issuing a memo waiving the aid freeze for “livesaving humanitarian assistance.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio has ordered an immediate halt to work on virtually all existing foreign aid programmes pending a review into whether they are consistent with President Donald Trump’s policies, according to an internal cable seen by the Financial Times.

Health and humanitarian groups around the world were still uncertain on January 29 if and how they could resume work after the United States issued a waiver for “life-saving” assistance in President Donald Trump’s freeze on U.S. foreign aid.

In a follow-up memo after an outcry from aid groups, Rubio clarified that other “humanitarian assistance” besides food would also be exempt during the review period. Humanitarian assistance was defined as “core life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter and subsistence assistance”.

Exemptions include humanitarian assistance such as core life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter and subsistence assistance

Officials inside and outside of the US government are grappling with the fallout of the Trump administration’s sudden suspension of almost all foreign aid with some humanitarian officials warning that people will die as a result.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered a pause Friday on "all new ... It also noted that emergency food assistance, "salaries and related administrative expenses, including travel for U.S. direct ...

Secretary of State Rubio spoke with China's Director of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Move from the US, which is the world’s biggest donor, will make exceptions for emergency food and military funding for Israel and Egypt

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued the waiver on Tuesday night after aid groups worldwide warned that the blanket ban on foreign aid funding and activity for 90 days had put millions of lives at risk.

President defends foreign aid suspension after Secretary of State Marco Rubio's emergency exemption for lifesaving programs

It is estimated that PEPFAR supports treatment for over 20 million people living with HIV, accounting for two-thirds of all people globally receiving HIV treatment