USAID signage removed from organisation's headquarters in Washington as Trump dismantles agency. Photo credit: NBC
The administration of President Donald Trump has cancelled more than 80 percent of programmes run by the United States Agency for International Development (USAI).
The decision was announced on Monday by Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, in a post on X.
“After a 6 week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programs at USAID,” the statement reads.
“The 5200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States.”
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Rubio added that the remaining 18 percent of programmes — around 1,000 in total — would now be managed “more effectively” under the state department.
“Thank you to DOGE and our hardworking staff who worked very long hours to achieve this overdue and historic reform,” he added.
USAID is the world’s leading international development agency, responsible for billions of dollars in US aid projects across the world.
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Most of these funds are channelled into disaster relief efforts while promoting development and global health.
The agency had earlier placed all directly-hired staff on administrative leave globally before laying off 1,600 personnel in the US.
Trump has long been critical of USAID, arguing that its funding should be redirected towards domestic priorities.
The administration is now working to shift USAID’s remaining functions to the state department.
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