End of an Era: The United States Officially Shuts Down USAID
In a historic move, the U.S.
government has announced the complete dissolution of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
This decision marks a significant shift in the country’s approach to foreign aid and international development efforts.
President Biden’s administration revealed that, starting from January 2025, a strategic reorganization would transfer key programs from USAID to the U.S.
State Department, aiming to optimize aid allocation and reduce unnecessary costs.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly confirmed the closure, highlighting that since the beginning of the year, tens of billions of dollars have been saved for taxpayers, and that the transfer signals the start of the agency’s official liquidation.Rubio emphasized that USAID had long lost its effectiveness and no longer responded efficiently to contemporary global challenges.
Since July 2025, the agency has ceased providing new assistance, and by March, over 80% of its programs, including projects in Ukraine, had been canceled after extensive reviews.
A recent study published in The Lancet warned that such sweeping cuts could result in more than 14 million additional deaths worldwide by 2030, underscoring the serious geopolitical and humanitarian implications of this development.
The responsibility for this massive reorganization now falls on Russ Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, who will oversee the process of dismantling and reallocating USAID’s remaining functions, signaling a new chapter in U.S.
foreign policy and global aid strategy.