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A map shows which countries receive the most foreign assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development.
USAID disbursed $72 billion in fiscal year 2023, the most recent full year for which information is available. The most aid—more than $16 billion—was sent to Ukraine that year.
President Donald Trump's adviser Elon Musk said early Monday that Trump had agreed USAID should be shut down.
The map below, using USAID data released by U.S. Office of Foreign Assistance, shows the countries where USAID spent most money in 2023. Ukraine has been removed in order to better show relative spend in each country.
Why It Matters
The U.S. is by far the world's largest provider of humanitarian aid, with USAID administering billions of dollars in humanitarian, development, and security assistance in more than 100 countries.
The U.S. spends less than 1 percent of its budget on foreign assistance, a smaller share overall than some other countries.
Nevertheless, USAID has been one of the federal agencies targeted by President Donald Trump's administration in a crackdown on the federal government and its programs. Billionaire Elon Musk, who is leading Trump's effort to slash federal spending and programs, has said USAID will be shut down. However, congressional Democrats have said presidents cannot eliminate congressionally appropriated federal agencies by executive order.
It comes after Trump placed an unprecedented 90-day freeze on foreign aid and development on his first day back in office on January 20 which has shut down many of USAID's programs. He said his administration will review spending to ensure money is distributed in line with his "America First" foreign policy.
What To Know
The data shows that Ethiopia received the most aid—almost $1.7 billion—after Ukraine in the 2023 fiscal year.
More than $1 billion was also disbursed by USAID in Jordan, Afghanistan and Somalia. Congo, Syria, Nigeria, Yemen and South Sudan also received between $740 million and $936 million in aid.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that there would be a review to determine which projects make the U.S "safer, stronger and more prosperous."
He said the freeze meant the U.S. was "getting a lot more cooperation" from recipients of humanitarian, development and security assistance. He did not comment on eliminating USAID as an agency.
However, Musk said early Monday that USAID is "beyond repair" and that Trump "agreed" with him that the agency should be shut down.
"I actually checked with him a few times. Said 'Are you sure?' Yes, so we're shutting it down," Musk said.
Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment via email.
What Is USAID?
USAID is an independent agency of the U.S. government responsible for administering foreign aid and development assistance.
President John F. Kennedy created the organization at the height of the Cold War in 1961 to counter Soviet influence.
USAID's programs are authorized by Congress in the Foreign Assistance Act. The agency's programs focus on improving global health, alleviating poverty, and providing emergency relief in response to natural disasters or conflict as well as enhancing education and strengthening democratic institutions abroad.
"On behalf of the American people, we promote and demonstrate democratic values abroad and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world," the agency's mission statement states.
"In support of America's foreign policy, the U.S. Agency for International Development leads the U.S. government's International development and disaster assistance through partnerships and investments that save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people emerge from humanitarian crises and progress beyond assistance."
What People Are Saying
President Trump told reporters on Sunday: "USAID has been run by a bunch of radical lunatics and we're getting them out and then we'll make a decision."
Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency, said during an X Spaces stream early Monday that USAID's work was "incredibly politically partisan" and that "it's beyond repair."
Democratic senators on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations wrote in a letter to Rubio on Sunday that Trump has no legal authority to eliminate a congressionally funded independent agency.
They wrote: "Congress established the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as an independent agency, separate from the Department of State, to ensure that we can deploy development expertise and U.S. foreign assistance quickly, particularly in times of crisis, to meet our national security goals. For this reason, any effort to merge or fold USAID into the Department of State should be, and by law must be, previewed, discussed, and approved by Congress."
Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, wrote on X on Saturday: "The immediate consequences of this are cataclysmic. Malnourished babies who depend on U.S. aid will die. Anti-terrorism programs will shut down and our most deadly enemies will get stronger. Diseases that threaten the U.S. will go unabated and reach our shores faster. And China will fill the void. As developing countries will now ONLY be able to rely on China for help, they will cut more deals with Beijing to give them control of ports, critical mineral deposits, etc. U.S. power will shrink. U.S. jobs will be lost."
What's Next
Two senior aides to Senate Democrats said lawmakers and staff had been meeting on Sunday and would meet again on Monday to consider next steps, including legal action, Reuters reported.
USAID's website went offline on Saturday as furloughs, layoffs and program shutdowns continue amid Trump's freeze on foreign aid.
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About the writer
Khaleda Rahman is Newsweek's National Correspondent based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on education and national news. Khaleda ... Read more