The courts are stepping in to block or reverse key components of President Donald Trump’s controversial campaign against U.S. foreign assistance and USAID.
Stop-stop-work
In a major legal victory for USAID implementing partners, a federal judge ruled late last night that the Trump administration must reverse its stop-work order on existing foreign aid programs, which had gone into effect Jan. 24 pending a 90-day review of those programs.
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It means funding for hundreds of contractors and NGOs is supposed to be restored.
“Defendants have not offered any explanation for why a blanket suspension of all congressionally appropriated foreign aid, which set off a shockwave and upended reliance interests for thousands of agreements with businesses, nonprofits, and organizations around the country, was a rational precursor to reviewing programs,” the order says.
The temporary restraining order issued in a pair of lawsuits brought by USAID and U.S. State Department implementers — both NGOs and contractors — will require the government to immediately stop any suspensions or pauses that are preventing the obligation or disbursement of foreign assistance funds for contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, loans, or other awards that existed prior to Jan. 19, my colleague Adva Saldinger writes.
“This ruling is a vital first step toward restoring U.S. foreign assistance programs,” says Elisha Dunn-Georgiou, president and CEO of the Global Health Council, in a statement. “It clears the path for organizations to resume their life saving work.”
What is still unclear is what will happen with the more than 800 contracts that were terminated in recent days. The parties in the case will meet Friday to file a status report and propose a preliminary schedule for the next phase of the case.
Read: Judge orders Trump administration to unfreeze existing aid programs
Live to fight another week
Meanwhile, USAID employees also got a lifeline — if only for a bit. Judge Carl Nichols extended a restraining order blocking the Trump administration from placing thousands of staff on leave, buying one more week until Feb. 21.
The lawsuit, backed by USAID unions and Oxfam America, argues that putting employees on paid leave — especially those abroad — creates chaos, security risks, and financial instability. The judge seemed to agree, questioning why the government wouldn’t simply avoid sidelining staff in high-risk areas. “Surely not 4,000 people,” he remarked when the administration cited concerns over insubordination and questionable contracts.
The ruling comes as USAID staff abroad face mounting uncertainty. In one declaration, a USAID officer in the Democratic Republic of Congo detailed how protests forced an emergency evacuation — only for funding to be delayed, leaving staff stranded.
While the government insists this is just a 90-day pause and review, critics see a slow-motion dismantling of the agency, writes Adva. Nichols will decide next week whether to grant a longer injunction.
Read: Judge extends reprieve for USAID employees in union lawsuit
+Listen: On the latest episode of our podcast series, Devex’s Rumbi Chakamba, Anna Gawel, and Colum Lynch discuss whether these lawsuits can save U.S. foreign aid from the path the Trump administration has it set on.
Another one bites the dust
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation’s inspector general has resigned, several sources with knowledge of the matter tell Devex, though it’s not clear why. It comes as a significant proportion of the agency’s workforce is facing layoffs as part of the administration’s edict to cut probationary employees and require all staff to work in the office. The Office of General Counsel is one of the hardest hit, with many of the attorneys new or working remotely. Fewer lawyers and no inspector general is a recipe for terrible outcomes, one source tells Adva.
ICYMI: Staff cuts coming to DFC
+ Catch up on the latest news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive insights on how the Trump administration’s policies are reshaping global development.
Munich tremors
The Munich Security Conference is off to a headline-grabbing start. After U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that Ukraine’s pre-war borders were “unrealistic” — which was probably news to Ukraine (but great news for Russia) — he walked back the comments, which were criticized for giving up leverage before peace talks between Ukraine and Russia had even begun. One senior Republican lawmaker called it a “rookie mistake.”
But then, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance doubled down on shocking the Europeans with a speech that many viewed as a full-throated attack against the continent. He slammed them on everything from stifling free speech to letting illegal migration run rampant.
He also scolded the Europeans for their criticism of Elon Musk, a close ally of Trump, quipping: “And trust me, I say this with all humor. If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg’s scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk.”
But beyond those headline-generating comments, other key moments at MSC reflected how the conference has evolved from its primary focus — international security — to recognizing the nexus between development and security.
In an important speech delivered at the opening session, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama warned about the wide-ranging effects of the Trump administration’s clampdown on U.S. foreign aid spending, while trying to find some silver lining.
Mahama was fresh off a meeting with his finance minister to agree on $156 million of cuts to government spending on economic growth, governance, education, and — “the most critical” — health care, the knock-on effect from the U.S. foreign aid freeze.
But he also struck a positive tone, my colleague Rob Merrick tells me.
“There are many other partners. We will continue to cooperate with other countries and that’s why we have a multipolar world now,” he said. “As bridges are burned, new bridges are being formed.”
He added: “It sends a signal to Africa that the time has come for us to be more self-reliant.”
Spotted: At different points, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and former Irish President Mary Robinson being ushered through the halls by staff in the Hotel Bayerischer Hof, the epicenter of the conference. VIPs come through a special branded entrance flanked by cameras and attendees hoping to get a snapshot of them. Also: WHO’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the hotel bar. Former U.S. envoy John Kerry talking to former White House official Dr. Raj Panjabi before bolting across the lobby, head down. Alan Fleischmann of Laurel Strategies deep in conversation at the lounge. Liz Schrayer of USGLC and Mark Vlasic at the Politico Pub. A green “Make Europe Great Again” hat on an attendee.
Pop goes the measles
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is officially the new U.S. secretary of health and human services, securing a narrow 52-48 Senate vote. Until the last moment, Democrats urged Republicans to reconsider appointing a vaccine skeptic to the role.
During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy faced tough questioning over his history of undermining public trust in vaccines, including those for measles and hepatitis B. He insists he’s not anti-vaccine, just “pro-safety,” and claims he’ll apologize if proven wrong by science — but notably stopped short of assuring mothers that vaccines don’t cause autism.
Now at the helm of the Department of Health and Human Services, Kennedy will shape U.S. health policy and wield global influence, Devex Senior Reporter Jenny Lei Ravelo tells me. His department funds medical research, sets international health frameworks, and supports disease surveillance in low- and middle-income countries. His words and actions could also affect vaccine-preventable disease efforts worldwide, along with broader issues like chronic disease prevention.
ICYMI: I will publicly apologize if science proves me wrong, says RFK Jr.
Background reading: Will RFK Jr. ‘go wild’ on global health?
Worthless waivers?
Waivers to the U.S. foreign aid freeze have proven to be highly coveted but often futile.
A waiver allows for “urgent life-saving HIV treatment services” under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. But as one NGO in Kenya learned, that waiver may only be as good as the paper it’s written on.
An email from a USAID employee in Kenya to colleagues in Washington, D.C., warns that while the agency’s partner in the country, the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies, expects its stop-work order to be lifted soon, it doesn't have funding to carry out programming.
“Please note that they are very unlikely to be able to actually restart work since the payment systems are down,” reads the email seen by Devex.
“They’re just making it super difficult to get funds out the door to respond to all these projects that are under the waiver,” a USAID employee tells my colleague Sara Jerving. “Everyone’s trying to figure out what the new rules are.”
Scoop: USAID Kenya partner has ‘no funds’ to carry out PEPFAR waiver
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Lyons’ share
Chip Lyons, former CEO of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, or EGPAF, has spent years championing children’s health, witnessing game-changing innovations like rapid HIV testing for newborns and weight-appropriate antiretroviral treatments. But without widespread adoption, he said in a recent Devex Pro briefing, these breakthroughs remain just potential.
“Where is the demand to take pediatric testing and treatment to scale?” Lyons asks, highlighting that in 2010, world leaders aimed to slash new pediatric HIV infections to 50,000 per year. Instead, the number has plateaued at 120,000. “Are we so inured to suffering?”
Beyond restructuring, Lyons stressed the need to tap into creative financing — engaging multilateral banks and the private sector — while rebuilding trust with U.S. lawmakers. The recent freeze on foreign aid has been a wake-up call: “The status quo doesn’t cut it anymore,” he said.
Read: Where is the political demand to eliminate pediatric HIV/AIDS? (Pro)
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AU, don’t make it bad
As dignitaries land in Ethiopia’s capital for the 38th African Union Summit, leadership shake-ups, heated negotiations, and pressing security crises take center stage.
After two turbulent terms, AU Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat is stepping down. His legacy includes pushing Africa onto the global stage — securing an AU seat in the Group of 20 largest and emerging economies — and advancing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. But his tenure also saw regional instability, controversial diplomacy, and stalled conflict mediation efforts. My colleague Ayenat Mersie has the lowdown on what we can expect.
With Faki’s departure, three candidates from East Africa are vying for his spot:
• Mahamoud Ali Youssouf (Djibouti): A diplomatic veteran and the front-runner.
• Raila Odinga (Kenya): A political heavyweight but facing concerns about age and clarity of vision.
• Richard Randriamandrato (Madagascar): A long shot, but backed by the Southern African Development Community.
The next chair will inherit multiple crises, including war in Sudan and famine in Somalia.
Read: 5 things to watch at the African Union Summit
In other news
A new World Bank-funded project is advancing Eswatini’s goal of achieving universal energy access by 2030. [ZAWYA]
Colombia’s environment minister said that Trump’s cuts to USAID have frozen $70 million in environment and conservation projects meant to protect the Amazon rainforest. [Reuters]
Soaring cocoa prices are setting unprecedented records and turning Valentine’s Day chocolates into a far more expensive token of affection this year. [AP]
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Update, Feb. 14, 2025: This article has been updated with reporting from the Munich Security Conference.
About the author
Helen Murphy
Helen is an award-winning journalist and Senior Editor at Devex, where she edits coverage on global development in the Americas. Based in Colombia, she previously covered war, politics, financial markets, and general news for Reuters, where she headed the bureau, and for Bloomberg in Colombia and Argentina, where she witnessed the financial meltdown. She started her career in London as a reporter for Euromoney Publications before moving to Hong Kong to work for a daily newspaper.
