IRISH HUMANITARIAN GROUPS are reeling from the suspension of US foreign aid funding announced by the Trump administration. 

Some of the most prominent Irish organisations rely heavily on funding from the United States’ government, and as a result work in multiple areas across the world has already been suspended. 

The Journal has learned that a gag order from the US State Department accompanied the international aid freeze, preventing humanitarian agencies from speaking about the situation. 

It is also understood that the Irish Government’s humanitarian programme known as Irish Aid funds projects in Zambia and Malawi in conjunction with USAID. Sources have said that it is not known where those projects stand now.  

One worker at an Irish humanitarian organisation said they do not expect USAID – the American international development agency - to survive.

A source at another agency said: “It is just very, very damaging for the sector”. 

One senior official said: “There isn’t even a working email to contact them to see what is happening.”

There are also concerns among humanitarians we spoke to about counter HIV projects in Africa and the possibility that these would be particularly impacted by the move.

On 24 January, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent an internal memo vowing an “America First” policy of tightly restricting assistance overseas.

“No new funds shall be obligated for new awards or extensions of existing awards until each proposed new award or extension has been reviewed and approved,” said the memo to staff.

The memo mentioned exemptions for emergency food aid programmes, as well as military aid for Israel and Egypt. 

The Journal understands that Irish aid organisations have received a flurry of memos from the US State Department since the suspension, which have led to confusion and uncertainty about what will happen next. 

Man carrying box of refined vegetable oil donated by USAID at a World Food Programme distribution point in North Kivu DR Congo. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

One Irish aid organisation has had to pause most of its operations as a result of the funding freeze.

More recently, Trump ally and financial backer Elon Musk has said he was putting USAID “into the wood chipper”. 

Musk’s aides reportedly locked USAID staff out of their offices in recent days. 

Yesterday Musk said President Donald Trump “agreed we should shut it down,” while referring to the agency. 

“It became apparent that it’s not an apple with a worm in it in,” Musk said in a live session on X Spaces. 

“What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair. We’re shutting it down.”

The USAID website is currently down.