The United States has cut 83% of its foreign aid programs under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a move driven by President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy prioritizing America’s national interests.
Department. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the cuts, stating on X, “After a 6 week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programs at USAID.
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.
In consultation with Congress, we intend for the remaining 18% of programs we are keeping (approximately 1000) to now be administered more effectively under the State Department.”
The cancellations stem from an executive order Trump signed on January 20, 2025, his first day in office, which froze foreign development assistance for 90 days to evaluate its alignment with his administration’s goals.
U.S. disbursed $41 billion in international aid for the 2024 fiscal year, with USAID managing a significant portion. The cuts will impact Africa the most, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, which received $12.7 billion in U.S. aid in 2024 alone.
Historically a major beneficiary of USAID funding, the region now faces significant financing gap. The decision threatens to unravel decades of progress in combating disease and poverty. Among the shortfalls of the 83% cut in USAID programs, is the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), launched by President George W. Bush in 2003. Having invested over $110 billion to fight HIV/AIDS globally, PEPFAR has been a lifeline for sub-Saharan Africa, home to 25 million of the world’s 40 million HIV patients.
Without sustained funding, USAID projects that up to 18 million additional malaria cases annually, 200,000 children paralyzed by polio, and one million more children untreated for severe malnutrition.
Trump’s aid cuts also reduced the U.S. commitment to Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) from $500 million to $385 million, leaving a $115 million gap.
The cutting of USAID funds poses a difficult challenge for Africa. Marco Rubio said the U.S. government would temporarily continue lifesaving assistance abroad, issuing waivers for humanitarian aid including emergency food in January. Africa must now depend on its own or other countries for aid relief.
The substantial gap left by the USAID cut might not be able to be fully covered, but Africa must move on and find alternative funding to continue vital operations that, would be affected by this 83% cut in USAID programs
