U.S. Foreign Aid to Africa Collapses as Trump Shuts Down USAID, Sparking Global Crisis

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Addie Andrus
February 10, 2025
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7 minutes read

Donald Trump gives his inaugural address inside the Capitol as he is sworn in for a second term as US president (Reuters: Chip Somodevilla)

Just two weeks ago, tens of thousands of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) workers were stationed across Africa. Now, only 12 remain, the New York Times reported Saturday. The global workforce of USAID has been slashed to just 300 employees, a drastic move that unfolded in a matter of days following an executive order from President Donald Trump to reassess foreign aid.

Experts warn that the decision could trigger an international humanitarian crisis. “We are in disbelief,” said Medhanye Alem, who works for the Center for Victims of Torture in Ethiopia. Sub-Saharan Africa has relied heavily on over $8 billion in annual U.S. foreign aid, which has provided food for starving children, lifesaving medical care, and humanitarian assistance.

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However, Trump has made it clear that he wants that aid to cease. “CLOSE IT DOWN!” he posted on social media Friday, accusing the agency of fraud and waste. The headquarters in Washington, D.C., has already been shut down, though legal challenges to the closure are underway.

“The speed and shock of the administration’s actions have already led to confusion, fear, and even paranoia at USAID offices across Africa,” the New York Times reported. Governments and aid organizations are now scrambling to fill the void left by the sudden withdrawal of U.S. support.

“The consequences are also reverberating across an aid sector that, for better or worse, has been a pillar of Western engagement with Africa for over six decades. With the collapse of USAID, that entire model is badly shaken,” the New York Times noted. “This is dramatic and consequential, and it’s hard to imagine rowing it back,” Murithi Mutiga, a program director at the International Crisis Group, told the publication.

“Once, the primacy of the West was assumed” in Africa, he said. “No more.” Beyond job losses, the future of massive refugee camps, health care centers, and social programs—many of which were heavily dependent on American funding—hangs in the balance. In Kenya, HIV medications will last only a year, but with dwindling health workers, distribution remains uncertain.

In several African nations, experts warn that the absence of U.S. aid could lead to political instability and even societal collapse. “We could see governance effectively cease in a few countries unless others step up to replace the hole left by the U.S.,” said Charlie Robertson, an economist specializing in Africa.