The US authorities decided to close 83% of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) programs after a six-week review of the organization's activities, announced Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the social network X. «Within the framework of 5200 contracts that are now canceled, tens of billions of dollars were spent in ways that did not serve (and in some cases even harmed) the core national interests of the United States», — noted Rubio.
According to the Secretary of State, the remaining 17% (about 1000 programs) will now be «more effectively» managed by the State Department. Meanwhile, Rubio thanked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) of Elon Musk, which helped «implement this long-overdue reform».
US President Donald Trump, on the first day after returning to the White House, froze USAID aid to foreign countries for 90 days to check how the agency's programs align with «American values» and US foreign policy goals. After this, the management of the agency was transferred under the control of the State Department, although previously it was independent and received funding from Congress.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was one of the largest donors in the world, as of 2024 it provided 42% of the global volume of humanitarian aid tracked by the UN. The reduction in USAID funding affected programs worldwide.