U.S. to shut down majority of USAID programs after review

On March 10, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that after a series of reviews, Washington is canceling 83% of the programs run by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

According to Rubio, 5,200 contracts have been terminated, as they did not serve U.S. national interests and, in some cases, even caused harm. He stated that "tens of billions of dollars" had been spent on projects that failed to align with U.S. priorities.

"In consultation with Congress, we plan to manage the remaining 18% (approximately 1,000 programs) more efficiently under the State Department," Rubio emphasized.

He also expressed gratitude to DOGE and hardworking employees who contributed to achieving what he called a "long-overdue and historic reform".

Background:

• On his first day in office, former U.S. President Donald Trump temporarily froze USAID’s foreign aid for 90 days to assess whether the programs aligned with "American values" and U.S. foreign policy goals. Additionally, USAID was placed under State Department oversight.
• In February, organizations and companies working under USAID contracts sued the Trump administration, alleging illegal actions to dismantle the agency. According to the plaintiffs, this had disrupted the funding of foreign aid programs.
• Founded in 1961, USAID had a planned budget of $42.8 billion for foreign assistance in 2025. The agency finances numerous humanitarian programs worldwide.

USAID’s global impact:

The United States is the world’s largest humanitarian aid donor, allocating less than 1% of its national budget to foreign assistance.

• In fiscal year 2023, USAID provided over $40 billion in aid to more than 130 countries, including Ukraine, Ethiopia, Jordan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Yemen, and Afghanistan.
• Uzbekistan is also a recipient of USAID assistance, receiving over $650 million since 1993.