The Trump administration has canceled more than 90% of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) grants allocated for foreign aid.
According to an official statement, nearly 5,800 USAID grants were canceled, while over 500 were retained.
“The total maximum cost of the retained contracts is approximately $57 billion,” the administration added.
In addition to the USAID grant cancellations, approximately 4,100 government grants were also canceled, with about 2,700 being retained. The administration later clarified that 297 contracts were still under review.
This large reduction in foreign aid has severely impacted nonprofit organizations and contractors working on aid programs, as many of these initiatives have been halted due to the freeze in funding and ongoing review of billions in assistance.
The updated details from the administration were provided in response to a lawsuit challenging the suspension of foreign aid.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly made a final decision on each grant individually, determining whether to retain or cancel it based on whether it aligned with U.S. national interests and foreign policy.
However, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit disputed Rubio’s involvement, arguing that it would have been impossible for one person or even a group of people to thoroughly review all contracts and awards in such a short time.
