On March 10, 2025, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that 83% of US Agency for International Development (USAID) initiatives will be discontinued.
To allow his administration time to evaluate international expenditures and eliminate programs that do not fit with his “America First” vision, President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January calling for a freeze on all US foreign aid.
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Rubio said on social networking platform X, “After a 6 week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programs at USAID.”
Rubio added, “The 5,200 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.”
US humanitarian aid is distributed globally via USAID, which operates emergency and health programs in around 120 nations.
The State Department, which oversees USAID, declared on February 26 that it will terminate 5,800 grants and reduce 92% of the agency’s program financing.
The Department of federal Efficiency (DOGE), which billionaire Elon Musk is spearheading to reduce expenses and lay off employees across federal agencies, was specifically commended by Rubio on Monday. According to Trump and his supporters, foreign aid is unnecessary and does not advance US interests.
However, aid organizations contend that a large portion of the help advances US interests by fostering stability and health abroad and caution that reducing aid puts the lives of those in need in jeopardy.
