Washington (Agencies): The Trump administration has announced the complete shutdown of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) offices worldwide by September 30, marking a major restructuring of US foreign aid operations. The decision, outlined in a State Department cable, transfers all foreign assistance programs previously managed by USAID to the Department of State starting June 15.
The move will result in the elimination of thousands of USAID positions, including foreign service officers, contractors, and locally employed personnel across more than 100 countries. Chiefs of mission at US embassies have been instructed to prepare for the transition, which will take effect within four months.
The restructuring follows an executive order signed by Trump on January 20, which froze foreign assistance programs pending a review. While humanitarian aid was later exempted, USAID’s future remained uncertain after its website was taken offline on February 1, and staff were locked out of its Washington headquarters two days later.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was established in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy through the Foreign Assistance Act, consolidating various foreign aid programs into a single agency. USAID has historically played a key role in global development, focusing on economic growth, humanitarian assistance, public health, education, environmental protection, and democratic governance. With an annual budget of $40 billion, USAID has been one of the largest aid agencies worldwide, operating in over 100 countries.
The decision to shut down USAID has sparked concerns over the impact on global aid efforts, with internal USAID documents warning that the cuts could lead to 1 million children untreated for malnutrition, up to 160,000 deaths from malaria, and 200,000 additional cases of polio over the next decade.