The United States government is attempting to dismantle the world's largest government-run development and humanitarian aid agency, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The USAID website went offline on Saturday, and hundreds of USAID employees and contractors have been reportedly fired or furloughed. USAID headquarters in Washington, D.C. was closed on Monday, and employees were told not to report to work.
The move comes two weeks after the new US administration imposed a near-total halt on US foreign assistance, affecting USAID operations and foreign assistance funded by or through the US State Department, with some exceptions for humanitarian funding.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) warn that the loss of USAID-supported services will affect millions of the world's most vulnerable people, create a humanitarian disaster, and cause long-term, irreparable damage. Among them are the international humanitarian organizations Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) and Oxfam.
In response to the freezing of US foreign aid and the abrupt dismantling of some of the core infrastructure of the humanitarian system, MSF issued a statement on Sunday. The NGO does not accept any US or other government funding, and its programs will not be directly affected.
“As a medical humanitarian organization working in many of the same crisis zones” as USAID and partners “we know that the sudden pause in humanitarian and health assistance and the rapid dismantling of critical components of the humanitarian aid system supported by the US government will cause an unmitigated humanitarian disaster affecting millions of the world’s most vulnerable people,” said Avril Benoît, Chief Executive Officer of MSF USA.
The latest reports on USAID come as aid organizations try to cope with far-reaching changes that threaten the delivery of humanitarian and development aid to those who need it most around the world.
MSF said the broad suspension of foreign aid, coupled with restrictions and a lack of clarity on humanitarian waivers, has already resulted in the loss of life-saving humanitarian medical assistance and harmful impacts on patient communities.
“We urge the US government to immediately resume funding of critical humanitarian and health aid, either through rescinding relevant orders freezing funding or expanding the current narrow humanitarian waiver to cover all necessary health and humanitarian programs,” Benoît said.
In a statement on Saturday, Oxfam America warned that dismantling USAID "would be a callous, destructive political power play that would have deadly consequences for millions of people living in dire humanitarian emergencies and extreme poverty."
“Ending USAID as we know it would undo hard-earned gains in the fight against poverty and humanitarian crisis, and cause long-term, irreparable harm. Now, Congress must take a stand against this destructive and unlawful action,” said Abby Maxman, President and CEO of Oxfam America.
"Over the past week, we have already witnessed the life-threatening, wide-ranging impacts of a temporary disruption to US foreign assistance."
In a statement issued by his spokesperson on Thursday, UN Secretary-General AntĂłnio Guterres called for additional waivers to be considered to ensure the continued delivery of critical development and humanitarian activities to the most vulnerable communities around the world "whose lives and livelihoods depend on this support."
The statement added that Guterres was looking forward to engaging with the new US administration on how “much needed development support” can be provided to citizens in the developing world who face the severest challenges.
“The United States is one of the largest aid providers, and it is vital that we work constructively to jointly shape a strategic path forward,” the UN statement said.
The US government is the largest single donor of aid in the world, disbursing approximately US$72 billion in assistance in 2023. The United States provided nearly $14 billion - more than 40 percent of all humanitarian assistance accounted for by the United Nations in 2024 - and has been the largest donor of humanitarian assistance for years.
USAID's legal authority is based on a combination of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and subsequent laws, such as the United States International Development Cooperation Agency (IDCA) Act of 1998, executive orders, and other authorizations that give the agency the mandate to administer foreign assistance and carry out US international development and humanitarian objectives.
Complete elimination of USAID would therefore require congressional action. Nevertheless, it could have a significant impact on American foreign policy and global humanitarian efforts. The sudden suspension of humanitarian and development assistance and the rapid dismantling of critical components of the humanitarian assistance system will further disrupt an already severely underfunded global relief effort.
USAID is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. Established in 1961, USAID's mission includes promoting economic development, improving global health, reducing poverty, and supporting democracy and governance in countries around the world.
Through its programs, USAID works in areas such as education, disaster relief, agriculture, economic growth, and health care to improve lives in developing countries and build partnerships that help achieve long-term stability.
The agency plays a key role in providing humanitarian assistance around the world, particularly in times of crisis such as natural disasters, conflicts, or other emergencies. USAID's primary goals in humanitarian assistance are to save lives, reduce suffering, and support the recovery and resilience of affected communities.
USAID's humanitarian assistance efforts focus on meeting immediate needs while supporting long-term recovery and development to ensure that people can rebuild their lives and communities after a crisis.
Its Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) is the US government's lead entity for international disaster relief, providing life-saving assistance to tens of millions of people around the world each year.
On average, BHA responds to 75 crises in more than 70 countries every year, providing food, water, shelter, health care, and other life-saving assistance to the world's most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach people.
According to United Nations estimates, more than 307 million people worldwide currently are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.