Dismantled USAID: What’s To Expect?

When President Trump returned to office he chose to cut foreign aids. He also shut down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The goal is to focus on Americans rather than foreigners. The money will now be used on U.S. programs and military investment.

This already has outcomes with many projects being cancelled. But there are also long-term issues to expect.

What was the purpose of USAID?

USAID was created in the early 60’s by John F. Kennedy. For more than 60 years, it has been the U.S. main agency in charge of providing help on foreign development. The agency acted in more than a hundred countries. It was tasked with:

• Fighting global poverty,

• Supporting public health and education,

• Providing humanitarian aid during crisis,

• Promoting democracy, human rights, and governance,

• Encouraging economic growth and food security,

• Stabilizing conflict zones and fragile states.

Changes brought by Trump’s administration

USAID’s operations were frozen for two months in January. They were then suspended in March. The Congress passed the Rescissions Act of 2025. This act clawed back almost $8 billion form international assistance and an additional $1 billion from public broadcasting. It was then approved by the Senate. USAID officially closed early July. The remaining functions were given to the State Department.

Over 95% of USAID programs were ended. These include:

- Health,

- Water and sanitary,

- Food security and nutrition,

- Education, democracy, and anti-corruption,

- Climate and natural disaster issues.

Due to legal restrictions, emergency food stocks and medical supplies were destroyed.

Consequences of the cuts

The dismantling of USAID triggered major long-term consequences. Of course, it impacts the countries that used to benefit from its operations. But it also harms the U.S. interests.

The consequences are multilayered. But they can mostly be seen on health issues and support for victims of conflicts. Below are some examples of the cuts’ impacts:

· South Africa: there is a risk of increase in HIV/AIDS due to less prevention.

· Haiti: NGOs were taking care of children sexually abused by gangs.

· Yemen: dozens of refuge places for women and girls closed late March.

· Guatemala: NGOs took care of girls victim of sexual abuses and helped them throughout their pregnancy. In only two months, more than four thousand girls aged 10 to 17 gave birth in Guatemala.

· Syria: adding to health issues due to a lack of medical aid, there also is a security risk regarding the Al-Hol camps. Indeed, these camps hold ISIS families and without enough funds to finance a proper security system, there is a risk of escape.

· South Sudan is the most impacted by the cuts. Many projects providing help to war and sexual abuses victims, and to fight malnutrition, had to be stopped.

· Afghanistan: last year the U.S. gave 44% of total aid. Projects to help returnees, internal displaced, and women and girls were stopped.

· Mali and Nepal: the end of the clean water projects has led to outbreaks of illnesses.

These cuts could lead to 14 million deaths over the next five years. These would mostly be the consequences of cuts in medical aid leading to an increase of disease spread and malnutrition.  

They might also result in increased immigration waves and security concerns. Poverty and unrest lead to conflicts or terrorism. Conflicts are often caused by tensions over resources. Terrorists take advantage of poor living conditions to enroll members.

Even if about $9 billion will be saved by the cuts USAID was a great tool of soft power for the U.S. It helped build goodwill, support allies, and prevent global crisis from spreading. This decision will create a strategic vacuum Russia and China will likely fill in. China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Russia’s diplomatic influence are growing in places where the U.S. once led development efforts. China already replaced the U.S in Kenya and the Philippines. This leads to shifting alliances.

Other donors like the UN or EU are trying to step in but they lack the budget and capacities.

Decoding geopolitics isn’t a job. It’s survival.

Joy