BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, March 17, 2025 – Catholic Relief Services (CRS) issued the following statement in response to Secretary Rubio’s statement on the completion of the International Humanitarian Assistance review:
“As part of the Catholic Church, Catholic Relief Services believes that human life is a precious gift from God that must be protected and nurtured.
Over the past six weeks, CRS has had to halt much of our U.S. government supported work due to the lack of payments: food in warehouses could not be distributed to the hungry and women and children could not get vital health and nutrition services.
In addition, last week’s termination of dozens of CRS’ life-saving projects will permanently cut off critical aid to more than 20 million people worldwide. Eleven of these terminated projects had received humanitarian waivers.
These programs do more than save lives. They help lift communities and countries out of poverty. They support local faith-based and church partners that provide services and stability to their communities and to their countries.
In the Holy Season of Lent in this special Jubilee year, Pope Francis invites Catholics and all people to become artisans of hope by building communities rooted in solidarity. CRS programs attend to the needs of very poor communities. As the most powerful and wealthy country in the world, our government also has a moral responsibility to assist the most vulnerable. As Pope Paul VI said in his encyclical Populorum Progressio: “It is a very important duty of the advanced nations to help the developing nations.”
By ending these life-saving programs, our government is not only neglecting our nation’s responsibility, but also weakening the very foundations of peace, stability and prosperity. We urge the administration to reverse these terminations and issue prompt payments to continue this life-saving and life-giving assistance.” MORE