Where USAID funds are disbursed around the world
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The Trump administration has targeted the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for potential shut down, the latest in its broad and escalating push to radically reshape the federal government.
Why it matters: USAID is the U.S. government's lead humanitarian aid arm and administers a wide array of programs around the world focused on fighting disease, reducing poverty and providing relief to people impacted by conflicts and natural disasters.
- The U.S. government is the world's single largest humanitarian donor, per the United Nations.
The big picture: In the 2023 fiscal year, USAID disbursed roughly $44 billion of aid across 160 countries and regions around the world, per the agency's foreign assistance dashboard.
- Ukraine was the top recipient of foreign assistance funds in FY 2023, with over $16 billion issued. Israel received more than $2.2 billion in disbursements, while Ethiopia and Jordan each received over $1 billion.
- Other top recipients also included Somalia, Afghanistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
State of play: From virtually the start of the new Trump administration, USAID's ability to carry out its work was thrown into disarray after a funding freeze on foreign aid ground much of the humanitarian sector to a halt.
- Elon Musk, head of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), said Monday morning that President Trump had "agreed" to "shut" USAID down.
- This followed reports that two senior USAID officials were placed on administrative leave after barring DOGE representatives from internal systems during a recent visit.
- Trump himself has railed against USAID, telling reporters this weekend the agency was run by "radical lunatics."
Case in point: USAID's website and X account have both been taken down.
Go deeper: What to know about USAID, the federal agency Musk vowed to kill
