USAID Official Suspended After Memos Expose Foreign Aid Freeze's Humanitarian Impact

Nicholas Enrich warned that halted global health funding could lead to preventable deaths, destabilization, and national security threats.

Nicholas Enrich, a senior USAID official, was placed on leave after releasing memos criticizing the Trump administration's handling of foreign aid waivers.
The memos detailed severe consequences of a $7.7 billion pause in global health aid, including increased cases of malaria, tuberculosis, polio, and other diseases.
Enrich accused USAID leadership, the State Department, and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) of creating barriers to implementing life-saving assistance programs.
The memos revealed that more than 90% of USAID's foreign assistance awards were terminated, with staff reductions and blocked payments halting critical humanitarian work.
Critics, including lawmakers, warn that the freeze endangers millions globally, undermines disease surveillance, and poses risks to U.S. national security.