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The administration of US President Donald Trump has decided to cancel more than 80% of USAID programmes, which has had immediate consequences for humanitarian aid around the world. According to The Economic Times, this has threatened the supply of life-saving food and medical supplies.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision was made after a six-week review of the programmes. According to him, the 5,200 contracts that were cancelled used billions of dollars in a way that was “not consistent with or even harmful to the national interest of the United States”. The remaining 1,000 programmes will remain, but will be administered through the State Department in coordination with Congress.
Earlier, Trump demanded a 90-day pause in aid to review its compliance with the “America First” policy. However, this policy has led to massive reductions in USAID staff, contract cancellations, and delays in the delivery of critical aid.
