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.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a waiver on Tuesday for life-saving humanitarian assistance during a 90-day pause in foreign aid while Washington undertakes a review, according to a State Department memo seen by Reuters.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio backtracked on Trump’s near-total foreign aid freeze and approved potentially billions of dollars in “life-saving humanitarian assistance.” Many aid groups are still unsure what that means.

The Trump administration’s orders have sent a chill through humanitarian organizations in Ukraine, which depend heavily on such assistance.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has approved some waivers for emergency food aid and some salaries after President Donald Trump’s executive order to halt and reevaluate all foreign development assistance prompted an outcry among aid groups around the world.

U.S.-funded aid programs around the world were firing staff and shutting down or preparing to stop operations, as the Trump administration's unprecedented freeze on almost all foreign assistance brought their work to a sudden halt.