The US State Department has officially announced the Congress of dissolution of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the transfer of some of its functions for its management. This reorganization, announced on March 28, should end until July 1 this year. Thus, the activity of the agency, which has been struggling with poverty and famine in the world, ceases.
According to the statement of the Donald Trump administration, the main reason for this decision was "the misuse of taxpayers' funds." According to the US leadership, USAID funded programs abroad that "did not meet the interests of the United States."
The closure of the agency has caused an ambiguous reaction. Former and current USAID employees, as well as humanitarian experts, note that despite some shortcomings, the agency played a key role in providing assistance to the countries that needed it. In addition, its activities have helped to strengthen the "soft power" of the United States in the world.
The decision of the Trump administration can significantly change the US approach to international assistance and cause funding to redistribute among other government agencies. The question of how the State Department plans to perform the functions of a liquidated agency and what impact it will have on US international policy.
