The United States has significantly reduced the budgets of international development and aid programs, cutting multiyear contracts by 92 percent, or $54 billion, as announced by the State Department.
Following his inauguration on January 20, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for a halt to all US foreign aid for 90 days. During this period, a review by top political leaders was conducted to reduce spending on programs that did not align with his “America First” agenda.
The review specifically targeted multiyear foreign assistance contracts given out by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), with the majority of them being eliminated.
“After a process overseen by USAID leadership, including sections personally reviewed by Secretary [Marco] Rubio, nearly 5,800 awards worth $54 billion were identified for elimination as part of the America First agenda – a reduction of 92 percent,” a State Department representative stated.
The review also examined over 9,100 grants related to foreign assistance, totaling over $15.9 billion.
By the end of the review, 4,100 grants amounting to almost $4.4 billion were marked for elimination, resulting in a 28 percent reduction.
“These sensible eliminations will enable the bureaus, along with their contract and grant officers, to focus on the remaining programs, identify further efficiencies, and align future programs more closely with the Administration’s America First priorities,” the State Department representative explained.
Programs such as food assistance, life-saving medical treatments for diseases like HIV and malaria, and aid for countries like Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, and Lebanon will not be affected by the cuts, as per the spokesperson.
