The vast majority of the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) programmes have been terminated following a six-week review, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced.
In a statement on X, Rubio said these initiatives “spent tens of billions in ways that did not serve” or even harmed US interests. As a result, only 18% of USAID’s programs will continue, now under the administration of the State Department.
The move has sparked global concern, with humanitarian organizations warning of severe consequences, including potential threats to lives due to the sudden withdrawal of US aid.
The Trump administration has long emphasized aligning overseas spending with its “America First” policy. Shortly after Donald Trump returned to the White House on January 20, thousands of USAID employees were placed on leave, and many working overseas were recalled.
On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order freezing foreign aid funding and ordering a comprehensive review of USAID’s global operations. The review, led by billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), resulted in the cancellation of thousands of development contracts and widespread job losses within the agency.
Rubio confirmed that the US was “officially ending” approximately 5,200 of USAID’s 6,200 programs.
“In consultation with Congress, we intend for the remaining 18% of programs to be administered more effectively under the State Department,” he stated. He also praised Doge and State Department staff for their “long hours in achieving this overdue and historic reform.”
However, the decision has sparked legal challenges. Democratic lawmakers and humanitarian groups argue that shutting down USAID-funded programs—previously approved by Congress—is illegal.
USAID played a crucial role in global humanitarian efforts, from famine detection to polio vaccinations and emergency food relief in conflict zones. The impact of the funding cuts is already evident.
In Sudan, the freeze on humanitarian assistance has led to the closure of more than 1,100 communal kitchens, leaving nearly two million people without food support amid ongoing civil war.
In Oman, dozens of Afghan women who fled the Taliban for higher education now face deportation after their USAID-funded scholarships were abruptly terminated.
Meanwhile, in India, the country’s first medical clinics for transgender individuals were forced to shut down in three cities after Trump halted foreign aid to the initiative.
The decision to dismantle USAID’s operations marks one of the most significant shifts in US foreign aid policy in recent history.
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