By Lara Kajs
Thinking Out Loud
For more than six decades, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) served as the primary institution responsible for administering American development and humanitarian assistance abroad. Its sudden closure in early 2025 marked one of the most consequential shifts in U.S. foreign aid policy in modern history, raising urgent questions about the future of global humanitarian programs and American influence abroad.
For more than sixty years, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) served as the central pillar of American development and humanitarian assistance. Established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy under the Foreign Assistance Act, the agency was designed to separate military aid from civilian humanitarian and development programs while promoting economic stability, democratic governance, and global health.
Operating in more than one hundred countries, USAID supported initiatives ranging from disaster relief and public health programs to agricultural development, education, and democratic institution-building. For decades, the agency represented one of the most visible instruments of U.S. engagement with the developing world.
The abrupt dismantling of USAID in 2025, therefore, represents a profound shift in the architecture of international development and U.S. foreign policy.
The Dismantling of an Institution
On January 20, 2025, shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump ordered a near-total freeze on foreign aid programs administered through USAID, citing concerns over waste, fraud, and misuse of funds.
Within days, the agency’s website was taken offline, and its headquarters in Washington, DC, was closed, with staff denied access to the building. The agency’s workforce was reduced from more than 10,000 employees to roughly 300 personnel, effectively halting hundreds of active programs across the globe.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio later issued a waiver allowing certain humanitarian assistance programs to continue temporarily. Nevertheless, the disruption had immediate consequences for organizations and communities dependent on USAID-funded initiatives.
The shutdown marked the most significant contraction of U.S. foreign aid infrastructure in modern history.
For more than six decades, USAID represented the institutional backbone of American humanitarian and development assistance.”
Global Health and Humanitarian Impact
USAID functioned as a key partner for governments, international organizations, universities, and non-governmental organizations around the world. Through grants and technical assistance, the agency supported programs addressing global health, food security, education, disaster relief, and economic development.
Among its most influential programs were large-scale health initiatives targeting HIV/AIDS, malaria, and malnutrition. USAID played a central role in managing global medical supply chains and delivering lifesaving medicines in low-income countries.
In sub-Saharan Africa alone, the agency allocated approximately $3.7 billion in development and health assistance in 2024. The suspension of these programs has created significant uncertainty for treatment initiatives serving millions of people.
In Nigeria, for example, clinics serving more than two million people living with HIV have faced disruptions due to halted funding and staffing shortages.
Beyond health programs, USAID’s food security initiatives—including Feed the Future and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network—provided early warning data and agricultural support to help prevent large-scale famine.
The removal of these systems risks reversing progress made in food security and climate resilience in vulnerable regions.
PEPFAR and the Fight Against HIV/AIDS
One of the most widely recognized programs associated with U.S. global health leadership is the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), launched in 2003 under President George W. Bush.
PEPFAR is widely considered one of the most successful global health programs in modern history. As of 2024, it had supported antiretroviral treatment for more than twenty million people worldwide and prevented millions of new HIV infections through prevention and testing programs.
The initiative has saved more than twenty-six million lives and helped prevent approximately 5.5 million cases of mother-to-child HIV transmission.
However, the disruption of USAID infrastructure has complicated the administration of PEPFAR programs. Although temporary waivers have allowed some essential medications to continue reaching patients, the long-term future of the program remains uncertain.
Public health experts warn that sustained interruptions in treatment access could have severe consequences for global HIV prevention efforts.
Economic and Geopolitical Consequences
The closure of USAID carries implications beyond humanitarian programs. For decades, development assistance has served as an important instrument of U.S. foreign policy and international engagement.
The withdrawal of American development assistance creates opportunities for other global powers to expand their influence, particularly in regions where USAID previously played a significant role.
Countries such as China and Russia have already increased development financing and infrastructure investment across parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The absence of U.S. development programs may accelerate these geopolitical shifts.
At the same time, the sudden cancellation of development programs has created economic disruption in many countries where USAID-funded projects supported employment, infrastructure development, and agricultural productivity.
Education, Climate, and Development Programs
Beyond health and humanitarian assistance, USAID funded a wide range of education and research initiatives. These included literacy programs, teacher training initiatives, scholarship programs, and projects aimed at improving access to education for girls in developing countries.
The agency also supported environmental and climate resilience programs through partnerships with organizations such as Conservation International, the World Wildlife Fund, and The Nature Conservancy.
In Pakistan alone, thirty-nine development projects valued at approximately $845 million were suspended following the shutdown. Similar disruptions have occurred in conflict-affected regions such as Afghanistan and Ukraine.
These programs often represented long-term investments in institutional capacity, making their sudden termination particularly difficult to replace.
Legal Challenges
The closure of USAID has also prompted legal challenges in the United States.
In early rulings related to the case, a federal judge indicated that the administration’s actions may have violated constitutional provisions governing congressional authority. Because USAID was established by Congress, its dismantling without legislative approval raises complex constitutional questions.
Legal proceedings surrounding the agency’s closure remain ongoing.
The Bottom Line
For decades, USAID functioned as a central institution of global development assistance and humanitarian response. Its programs helped address infectious disease, famine, poverty, and disaster relief in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.
The abrupt dismantling of the agency represents a major turning point in the history of U.S. foreign aid.
Whether alternative structures emerge to fill this gap remains uncertain. What is clear is that the sudden disruption of development programs has created immediate challenges for humanitarian organizations, partner governments, and millions of people who rely on international assistance.
The long-term consequences for global development—and for the role of the United States in shaping it—are still unfolding.
Photo Credit: March 8-12: USAID Funded Samaritan’s Purse Continues Post-Tsunami Assistance by US Embassy New Zealand. Licensed under Public Domain Mark 1.0
Published 6 May 2025
About Thinking Out Loud
Thinking Out Loud is a commentary series by Lara Kajs examining international law, humanitarian crises, and the prevention of mass atrocities. Drawing on field experience in conflict and displacement settings, the column explores the legal and policy challenges that shape contemporary conflicts
Lara Kajs is the founder and executive director of The Genocide Report, a Washington, DC-based educational nonprofit focused on atrocity prevention and international law. She is the author of several field-based books on conflict, displacement, humanitarian crises, and international humanitarian law, drawing on extensive research and field experience in Yemen, Syria, and Afghanistan. Her writing and public speaking focus on atrocity crimes, forced displacement, the protection of civilians, and the legal frameworks governing armed conflict.