What Is USAID? What the Agency Does

USAID, one of the largest official aid agencies in the world, has—like many others—become a target in President Donald Trump’s push to reshape the federal government and cut programs that don’t align with his “priorities.”

On April 7, the Trump administration notified the World Food Program and other partners that it had terminated some of the last remaining humanitarian aid programs across the Middle East, according to a U.S. official and a U.N. official who spoke to the Associated Press. Roughly 60 contract termination letters were sent in the past week, including major projects with the WFP—the world’s largest provider of food aid.

But in an apparent reversal, Jeremy Lewin, a senior USAID official with the Department of Government Efficiency, requested in an email on April 8 that the terminations be rescinded.

“Sorry for all the back and forth on awards,” he wrote in the message obtained by CNN. “There are a lot of stakeholders and we need to do better about balancing these competing interests—that’s my fault and I take responsibility.”

Here’s what to know about USAID and where the agency stands today.

What Is USAID?

USAID, or the United States Agency for International Development, funds projects focused on alleviating poverty, disease, and humanitarian crises in countries worldwide.

Created as part of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, USAID was established under the leadership of President John F. Kennedy.

Why Is Trump Pushing to Eliminate USAID?

Initially, with the support of Elon Musk—whom President Trump appointed as head of DOGE—USAID employees were placed on unpaid leave beginning February 3. The agency’s headquarters was closed that day, and staff were instructed via email to stay home. Soon after, USAID’s website and social media accounts were taken offline.

Musk said during a X Spaces conversation early Feb 3, “With regards to the USAID stuff, I went over it with (the president) in detail and he agreed that we should shut it down.”

“It’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out, and then we’ll make a decision on its future,” he added during remarks at Joint Base Andrews. Later, Musk took to his social media platform X, writing, “Time for it to die,” and branding USAID a “criminal organisation.”

How Many People Are Employed by USAID?

When the Trump administration issued a stop-work order for foreign assistance in late January, a USAID official told NPR that the agency’s total workforce—including contractors—was approximately 10,000. On January 28, about 390 employees, mostly U.S.-based contractors, were laid off.

USAID operates in more than 100 countries and partners with over 4,000 organizations globally.

A recent report claimed that the Trump administration had fired three USAID workers in Myanmar while they were responding to a 7.7-magnitude earthquake. According to multiple outlets, the experienced aid workers received termination emails addressed specifically to them just days after arriving in the country.

However, a senior State Department official disputed the reports in a statement to the Washington Reporter, saying, “No one was fired.” The official added, “Our team leads on the ground in Burma have reported back that the response is going well and they are able to execute their assignment.”

The official pointed to a previously issued notice about broader staffing reductions. On March 28, USAID informed roughly 4,600 employees that they would be terminated either on July 1—when all remaining agency functions are scheduled to merge with the State Department—or before September 2, by which point USAID’s operations will be largely wound down or transferred. The second group of staff will be responsible for overseeing the agency’s final phase and closure.