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Trump Administration Shuts Down USAID, Halting Decades of Foreign Aid Work

The abrupt dismantling of USAID has left thousands unemployed, disrupted global aid programs, and raised concerns about the impact on U.S. diplomacy and health initiatives worldwide.

Protesters hold placards as Pete Marocco, deputy administrator-designate at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), attends a meeting with members of Congress to discuss foreign assistance, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S. March 5, 2025.
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Protesters hold placards as Pete Marocco, deputy administrator-designate at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), attends a meeting with members of Congress to discuss foreign assistance, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S. March 5, 2025.
People protest as Pete Marocco, deputy administrator-designate at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), attends a meeting with members of Congress to discuss foreign assistance, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S. March 5, 2025.

Overview

  • The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, has dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), freezing 90% of its foreign aid contracts and recalling nearly 10,000 staff from overseas.
  • The shutdown has left 4,700 USAID employees on administrative leave and terminated 1,600 others, with thousands of contractors and suppliers also affected by the abrupt halt in operations.
  • Experts warn that the pause in USAID's health, food, and agricultural programs could raise malaria deaths by 40% and significantly increase tuberculosis cases globally over the next year.
  • USAID's closure has disrupted critical research and aid projects, including university-led initiatives to combat hunger and malnutrition, and has forced NGOs to halt life-saving work in low-income countries.
  • The agency's dissolution is expected to weaken U.S. soft power abroad and bolster China's influence in developing and middle-income countries, as it fills the void left by the end of American foreign aid efforts.