Trump’s Plan to Shut Down USAID: What It Means for Global Humanitarian Aid

The future of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is in jeopardy as the Trump administration considers merging it with the U.S. Department of State. This move could drastically reduce USAID’s funding and workforce, leaving many international aid programs in limbo.

The primary foreign aid organization of the U.S. government, USAID was founded in the 1960s and offers humanitarian aid all around the world. USAID, which employs 10,000 people and works in more than 60 nations, is essential to economic development, health programs, and disaster relief. From famine prevention to disease control programs, including as polio vaccine campaigns and pandemic response activities, it provides funding to a range of organizations that provide relief on the ground.

The United States spent $68 billion on foreign aid in 2023, of which about $40 billion went to USAID. The majority of this money goes toward aiding countries in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Europe, especially Ukraine. The United States continues to be the leading contributor to international development worldwide, spending far more than other countries, such as the United Kingdom, which contributed about $19 billion in the same year.

President Trump, who has long opposed foreign aid, contends that American taxpayers do not gain from USAID’s spending. Its leaders have been described by him as “radical lunatics.” Elon Musk, a billionaire who was assigned to find federal budget cutbacks, is in favor of eliminating USAID. Aid initiatives around the world have been disrupted by the administration’s recent 90-day freeze on the majority of foreign funding. This action was referred to as a sector “earthquake” by humanitarian personnel.

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Congressional approval would be necessary to completely dissolve USAID, even with Trump’s executive authority. USAID was created by the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and reaffirmed as an independent agency in 1998, so any attempt to do so could encounter legal and legislative obstacles. Instead, the Trump administration might decide to incorporate USAID into the State Department, a move that would be comparable to the UK’s 2020 merger of its foreign aid department with the Foreign Office.

Millions of people around the world may no longer have access to vital relief services if USAID is shut down or drastically reduced in size. Programs that offer food, medical supplies, and disaster aid are funded by the agency. Already, critical initiatives like the installation of clean water systems and the provision of necessary drugs have been hampered by the abrupt halt in U.S. aid abroad. Such cuts, according to critics, might endanger economic stability, global health, and American influence overseas.

The future of U.S. foreign aid is still up in the air because Trump has made a “America First” program his top priority. The global humanitarian assistance landscape may change as a result of additional policy changes that the international development community is anticipating.

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Source: BBC News