83 Of Usaid Programmes Will Be Cancelled, Says Rubio

83 of programmes run by USAID will be cancelled, according to US secretary of state Marco Rubio, in what is likely to represent a major reduction in US development assistance to Africa.

The cancellation of 5200 contracts follows a rapid six week review into US aid spending by the administration of President Donald Trump with the participation of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency DOGE, which has been tasked with rooting out perceived wasteful government expenditure.

"After a 6 week review we are officially cancelling 83 of the programs at USAID. The 5200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, and in some cases even harmed, the core national interests of the United States," Rubio tweeted.

Rubio claimed that the remaining programmes, numbering around 1000, are to be administered "more effectively" under his State Department "in consultation with Congress." Rubio thanked "DOGE and our hardworking staff" for what he dubbed "overdue and historic reform."

In the last month, thousands of USAID staff have been placed on administrative leave while those working on overseas programmes have been told to prepare to return to the US.