USAID Officially Shut Down, Says U.S. Secretary of State

The United States has officially closed the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed this week. He said the decision has already saved American taxpayers «tens of billions of dollars» since early 2025.

The closure follows an earlier announcement by Elon Musk in February, when he was leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). At the time, Musk said USAID was «beyond recovery» and would be permanently shut down.

In March, Rubio announced the cancellation of 83% of USAID programs, which he argued had consumed billions of dollars without serving U.S. interests. The remaining programs have been placed under the control of the State Department.

USAID was a U.S. government agency responsible for development and humanitarian assistance worldwide. Over the past 24 years, it directed about $3.3 bn to Central Asia through various projects. However, analysts note that aid to the region made up only a small share of USAID’s overall global portfolio.