US President Donald Trump has appointed US secretary of state Marco Rubio as the acting administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), citing his belief that the agency's aid programmes are no longer serving the core national interests of the US.

In a statement issued just hours ago, the US Department of State asserted that USAID had strayed from its main mission of responsibly expanding US interests abroad.

“In an interim step to manage and clearly understand the agency's actions, President Donald Trump has appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the interim head. Mr. Rubio also notified Congress that a review of USAID's foreign aid activities is being conducted with the aim of restructuring the agency,” it said.

The state department emphasised that the interests of American citizens must be ensured, and that their tax dollars are not “wasted”.

At the same time, several hundred USAID staff members are protesting Trump’s decision, in Washington, D.C.

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, holds a special role in Trump's administration. He stated yesterday that USAID will be shut down for good. Musk also labelled the agency a “criminal organisation”.

On January 24, President Trump announced a 90-day suspension of all USAID foreign aid, effective January 26. The freeze in funding has impacted more than 30 countries, affecting billions of dollars in aid.

Numerous organisations and institutions that receive USAID support in Cambodia have also been affected, including those working in the vital field of mine clearance.

The Post contacted the US Embassy in Cambodia to inquire about the number of organisations and institutions receiving aid and the amount of funding USAID has provided to them. The embassy redirected the inquiry to the US state department.

In October 2024, the US announced over $17 million in funding for health and demining projects in Cambodia during a visit by Samantha Power, who was then head of USAID.