OPINION: A USAID Phoenix will rise from the ashes

The Phoenix is a mythological bird associated with rebirth and renewal. It is a symbol of the sun, immortality, and the cycle of life.

The U.S. Agency for International Development and other types of foreign assistance were effectively shuttered on Feb. 27, 2025, at the hands of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency. Clearly, any organization can and should be improved, just look at Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But USAID’s demise was heartless and ill-planned, a sort of fire, aim, ready approach. In the vacuum left by USAID, millions of men, women and children could die by 2030.

In time, a USAID Phoenix will be reborn with a restructured, retooled and refinanced portfolio that will be anchored in altruistic and focused foreign assistance, but also protect and support American security, and our values of honesty, transparency, compassion, respect and equity for ourselves and our global partners.

USAID represented the very best of America. For 64 years, USAID served as a beacon of friendship, trust, hope and sustainable development for the world’s poor and rich nations alike. Its motto, “From the American People” projected an understanding that America is a moral, compassionate and altruistic nation, and a global leader for freedom and equity among nations. USAID was one of the good guys.

Today, with the dismantling of USAID and the folding of remnants of USAID into the State Department, our foreign assistance impact will be much reduced from technical, administrative and political perspectives.

But who cares about foreign aid, especially for the poorest of the poor, who live in struggling countries with often corrupt leaders and seemingly insurmountable economic and political problems? Why should the United States care for these poor millions, what do they mean to us? Well, we should care a great deal about these countries because they really do mean a great deal to us.

Low- and middle-income countries like Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Kenaya, plus Brazil, India, and Morocco, etc., comprise 6.6 billion (80%) of the world’s 8.2 billion people. That’s a lot of people who need help from health, humanitarian, development, political and security perspectives. Turning our back of these countries will result in the disappoint in, and distrust of America and its people. Today, our standing on the global stage has been diminished. Furthermore, a geopolitical and economic realignment toward China, Russia, North Korea and other unfriendly nations could occur, leaving America as a disrespected and isolated giant.

But, a glimmer of hope exists. On Feb. 3, President Donald Trump signed “The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (HR 7148), which includes some $50 billion for U.S. foreign assistance programs within the fiscal year 2026 National Security, Department of State and Related Programs (NSRP) appropriation. Of that $50 billion, $9.42 billion will be for global health activities including HIV prevention to maternal/child/reproductive health, disease control and epidemic preparedness, etc., and $5.4 billion for humanitarian assistance. Virtually all these programs were effectively managed by USAID prior to its demise.

Hopefully, USAID will endure and a new, revitalized and more focused entity will eventually arise from the ashes. Global health, humanitarian assistance, disease control, epidemic preparedness, global nutrition, famine prevention, girls’ education and infrastructure development rank high on my list.

However, at present, just how Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s team will effectively manage the Administration’s $50 billion foreign aid agenda remains unclear and very worrisome.

Vic Barbiero is a retired foreign service officer, public health professional and teacher. He has worked in over 40 countries for the U.S. Agency for International Development. He lives in Placitas.