US scales back 83% of USAID programmes

The US administration has decided to significantly cut programmes of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This was announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

«Из 5200 контрактов, финансируемых USAID, теперь аннулируются 83%. Эти программы тратили десятки миллиардов долларов на цели, которые не только не соответствовали национальным интересам США, но в ряде случаев даже вредили им» (Of the 5,200 contracts funded by USAID, 83% are now being cancelled. These programmes spent tens of billions of dollars on goals that not only did not align with US national interests but, in some cases, even harmed them), he emphasised.

Thousands of contracts cut

The cuts will affect the majority of initiatives funded by the agency. In total, thousands of contracts covering a wide range of areas – from economic support to social and educational programmes in other countries – have been terminated.

Instead, priority is given to initiatives that, according to Rubio, «служат стратегическим задачам США» (serve US strategic objectives).

What awaits the remaining 18% of projects?

Approximately 1,000 programmes (18% of the total) will remain in force, but their management will be transferred to the State Department. According to Rubio, this will ensure more efficient administration and control over spending.

«В консультациях с Конгрессом мы пересмотрим механизм распределения помощи, чтобы оставшиеся проекты действительно работали на благо американских интересов» (In consultations with Congress, we will review the aid distribution mechanism to ensure that the remaining projects truly work for the benefit of American interests), he stated.