How USAID lost its way — and how to fix America's humanitarian aid system
If America’s humanitarian aid system were a business, it would have collapsed long ago. No enterprise — public or private — can sustain itself without demonstrating value, yet for decades, the U.S. Agency for International Development has expanded unchecked, insulated from the accountability that defines a market-driven world.
As a result of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency review, USAID was formally dismantled, with its remnants absorbed into the State Department. The review laid bare an imperious bureaucracy adrift from its core mission. Even the Cato Institute — a steadfast proponent of limited government — endorsed its closure, calling it “a good idea,” bluntly stating that “foreign assistance is not accomplishing its goals.”
Then came USAID’s own reckoning. In August 2024, an Inspector General’s report confirmed what critics long suspected — systemic due diligence failures had left billions in taxpayer dollars flowing through a system with little control, inadequate oversight and no clear accounting of how funds were ultimately spent.
Among the most glaring concerns: the unchecked influence of public international organizations, including the United Nations, World Bank, UNICEF and World Food Program. These entities collectively administer vast sums of U.S. aid with minimal accountability and little measurable impact.
For much of its history, USAID wielded enormous influence over global aid policy, directing billions in taxpayer-funded assistance. But its decline was neither sudden nor unforeseeable.
What had once functioned as a humanitarian lifeline has become a labyrinth of misallocated resources, favoring broad, abstract development theories over measurable results. This shift has diluted accountability, misdirected funding and allowed wasteful programs to flourish under the banner of long-term, unverifiable goals.
For years, these inefficiencies were shielded by institutional inertia and entrenched interests. That illusion collapsed in Haiti, Afghanistan and Gaza where U.S. and public international organization-led humanitarian and development efforts failed spectacularly, exposing a model that is expensive, ineffective, and impervious to meaningful reform.
The DOGE review has pulled back the curtain, revealing a system where waste is endemic, oversight is weak, and measurable outcomes are an afterthought.
Humanitarian aid has long reflected the best of American values — compassion, leadership and a commitment to helping those in crisis. U.S. assistance has saved lives, responded to disasters and reinforced global partnerships.
But the era of unchecked spending is over. With $60 billion in global aid commitments at stake, the question is no longer whether reform is necessary, but whether there is the political will to dismantle a broken system and rebuild one that is accountable, results-driven, and responsive to actual humanitarian needs.
The solution is not to abandon humanitarian aid but to rethink how it is delivered. This begins with reducing America’s dependence on public international organizations and shifting toward leaner, more results-driven partnerships. The United Nations, for example, is seeking $47 billion for humanitarian aid in 2025 and USAID administers billions more — yet their impact remains largely unverifiable.
A transition toward bilateral agreements — reducing reliance on organizations — could significantly increase oversight and efficiency. USAID already administers bilateral aid programs, yet too much funding flows through large multilateral agencies with minimal competition or transparency. Redirecting even a fraction of this funding to competitively bid, bilateral initiatives could reduce waste by 10-15 percent, ensure more effective aid, and tighten financial oversight.
For too long, humanitarian programs have been measured by how much aid is distributed rather than its actual impact. Counting meals delivered, tents distributed or vaccines administered is not enough.
The key question should be: Is hunger decreasing? Are displaced populations stabilizing? Are health interventions leading to lasting improvements? If an aid program cannot demonstrate meaningful, measurable results, it should no longer receive U.S. funding.
Achieving this requires a fundamental shift in monitoring and evaluation. The necessary tools are readily available — they are just not being used.
Predictive analytics, already used in finance, healthcare and public policy — can forecast trends, detect inefficiencies and optimize decisions in real-time. Blockchain can track financial transactions with precision, AI can assess program efficiency in real-time and independent audits can verify whether aid is reaching its intended recipients.
These technologies are seamlessly integrated into finance, logistics, and supply chain management — so why are they not the standard in foreign aid?
However, numbers alone don’t tell the full story. A rigorous approach must integrate both quantitative metrics to track progress and qualitative research to capture local realities, ensuring that aid strategies are informed by both hard data and human experience.
These methods exist today but remain underutilized in aid programs. Applying them effectively would ensure accountability and deliver actual results.
Real-time oversight allows aid programs to detect inefficiencies early, make agile adjustments and prevent systemic waste — rather than conducting post-mortem assessments after failure has already set in. The funding for monitoring and evaluation is already in place; the issue isn’t cost, but competence.
We don’t need more reports, audits, or bureaucratic oversight — we need a monitoring and evaluation system that delivers results. Making this the new standard will not only refine metrics — it will redefine culture.
Congress must reclaim its oversight role and mandate independent, data-driven accountability audits across all U.S. foreign aid programs. The blind trust must end.
Every dollar must be tracked, every program scrutinized, and every outcome measured — not by the agencies spending the money, but by independent monitors ensuring transparency and effectiveness. Without rigorous oversight, inefficiency will persist, and waste will remain the cost of complacency.
Congress faces a choice: Preserve an outdated, opaque system riddled with inefficiency, or forge a leaner, results-driven model that actually serves those in need. The time for reform is not tomorrow — it’s now.
Ron MacCammon is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces colonel and former political officer with the Department of State. He has extensive experience in Latin America and Afghanistan and taught International Relations at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
-
How to Create a Recovery USB Drive to Fix Your Computer
This emergency first aid kit will be ready to rescue your Mac or Windows machine when disaster strikes.Wired - 2d -
How to cut Britain’s rising welfare bill
Reforms rather than quick fixes will save more money in the long termFinancial Times - 14h -
How NWSL, its players plan to thrive without college drafts
The NWSL has broken out of the American mold and gotten rid of all drafts -- no college draft, no expansion draft, nothing. How will that work?ESPN - 9h -
Aid operations in Gaza imperiled as millions of promised USAID dollars do not arrive
The Trump administration’s cuts to USAID have frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in contractual payments to aid groups, leaving them paying out of pocket to preserve the fragile Gaza ceasefire, ...ABC News - 2d -
How Mayor Eric Adams Lost New York City
He promised law and order. Instead, his scandal-ridden mayoralty became a symbol — and engine — of the city’s chaos.The New York Times - 1d -
3/7: CBS Evening News
Gene Hackman died of natural causes days after wife died of hantavirus; How the "Syncopated Clock" song wormed its way into Americans' earsCBS News - 1d -
Sen. Elissa Slotkin wants assurances Trump will spend money 'the way Congress intends' before she votes for a funding bill
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., on Sunday said that she would "withhold" her decision on how to vote to fund the government until Congress gets assurances from the Trump administration that money ...NBC News - 10h -
Push-up power! The exercise you need for a healthy, happy life – and eight ways to make it easier
Fast, free and phenomenally effective, push-ups are an unbeatable way to build the muscle you need every day – all the way into old age. Here’s how to master them, even if you’ve previously ...The Guardian - 11h -
How canned water brand Liquid Death made its mark
If you watched the Super Bowl last month, you might have seen the first national ad for Liquid Death, the canned water company that promises to "murder your thirst." Founder and CEO Mike Cessario ...CBS News - 1d
More from The Hill
-
Fox host asks Trump whether he is 'comfortable' that 'Ukraine may not survive'
Fox News host Maria Bartiromo pressed President Trump on whether he is “comfortable” with the idea that Ukraine “may not survive” the war with Russia. Trump sat down for an interview with Bartiromo ...The Hill - 1h -
Mark Carney to become Canada’s next prime minister after Liberal Party vote
Canada’s Liberal Party chose its next leader in Mark Carney, and he will soon replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to lead the country. The exact date for Carney, 59, to take office is uncertain, ...The Hill - 2h -
Protesters dispute Vance’s description of clash on street over Ukraine: 'No one was chasing him'
The protesters who confronted Vice President Vance disputed his version of what happened, claiming that “no one was chasing him.” Video shared with WCPO in Cincinnati from one of the protesters, ...The Hill - 2h -
Pro-Palestinian activists vandalize Trump golf course in Scotland over Gaza comments
Pro-Palestinian activists vandalized President Trump’s golf course in Scotland on Saturday to protest his administration’s policies in the Gaza Strip. In white, boldface capital letters, activists ...The Hill - 2h -
HHS sends employees a $25K voluntary buyout offer
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) offered its 80,000 employees a $25,000 buyout offer as part of President Trump’s plan to scale back government spending. Workers can opt into the ...The Hill - 4h
More in Politics
-
Fox host asks Trump whether he is 'comfortable' that 'Ukraine may not survive'
Fox News host Maria Bartiromo pressed President Trump on whether he is “comfortable” with the idea that Ukraine “may not survive” the war with Russia. Trump sat down for an interview with Bartiromo ...The Hill - 1h -
Mark Carney to become Canada’s next prime minister after Liberal Party vote
Canada’s Liberal Party chose its next leader in Mark Carney, and he will soon replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to lead the country. The exact date for Carney, 59, to take office is uncertain, ...The Hill - 2h -
Congressional Republicans unveil spending plan to avert government shutdown
Congressional Republicans unveiled their plan for a spending bill to avert a government shutdown as the deadline approaches this Friday. NBC News’ Yamiche Alcindor reports.NBC News - 2h -
Secret Service shoots armed man in confrontation near White House
The U.S. Secret Service shot an adult male near the White House in Washington, D.C., shortly after midnight on Sunday after an “armed confrontation” with law enforcement, according to the agency. ...NBC News - 2h -
Protesters dispute Vance’s description of clash on street over Ukraine: 'No one was chasing him'
The protesters who confronted Vice President Vance disputed his version of what happened, claiming that “no one was chasing him.” Video shared with WCPO in Cincinnati from one of the protesters, ...The Hill - 2h