BIZTECH
3 min read
Trump cuts 80% of USAID programmes, jeopardising global relief efforts
The move, part of US President Trump's "America First" policy, halted aid operations worldwide, causing disruptions to humanitarian efforts.
Trump cuts 80% of USAID programmes, jeopardising global relief efforts
Thousands of staff were put on leave or fired and contractors terminated.
March 11, 2025

The Trump administration has cancelled more than 80 percent of all the programmes at the United States Agency for International Development following a six-week review, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

"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," Rubio said on Monday in an X post that he sent from his account.

He then pinned it on his timeline.

The remaining approximately 1,000 programmes, he said, would now be administered "more effectively" under the State Department and in consultation with Congress.

US President Donald Trump returned to office on January 20 and immediately ordered a 90-day pause on foreign aid pending a review of whether the programmes align with his "America First" foreign policy.

The order, and ensuing stop work orders, threw USAID into turmoil, halting the agency's operations around the world, jeopardising the delivery of life-saving food and medical aid and throwing global humanitarian relief efforts into chaos.

The administration said it provided waivers for life-saving aid, but humanitarian workers around the world said the funding remained shut.

Thousands of staff were put on leave or fired and contractors terminated.

The majority of those put on leave are not expected to be reinstated.

TRT Global - Trump woos cryptocurrency industry's elite at White House

TRT Global - Donald Trump hosts a first-of-its-kind summit focused on his plans for a government-owned stockpile of digital assets.

🔗

Thanking DOGE

The top US diplomat also thanked the staffers of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk, who has been conducting an unprecedented scaling down of the US federal government.

"Thank you to DOGE and our hardworking staff who worked very long hours to achieve this overdue and historic reform," Rubio said.

A few hours later, Musk responded: "Tough, but necessary. Good working with you. The important parts of USAID should always have been with the Department of State."

His comments came after the New York Times reported that he and Musk clashed during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, with Musk accusing the top US diplomat of not carrying out deep enough staff cuts at the State Department.

At the meeting, Trump told his Cabinet heads that they, not Musk, have the final say on staffing and policy at their agencies, Reuters reported. Trump denied the NYT report on Friday when asked about it by reporters.

Trump, Musk and Rubio had dinner on Saturday evening at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Sunday.

TRT Global - US semiconductor industry faces uncertainty as Trump throws shade at CHIPS Act

TRT Global - President Trump’s call to scrap heavy subsidies for the makers of semiconductors upends hopes for a stable manufacturing boost, leaving Intel, TSMC, and other chipmakers uncertain about America’s long-term commitments.

🔗

SOURCE:Reuters
Sneak a peek at TRT Global. Share your feedback!
Contact us