On Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused USAID's leadership of "insubordination" and said he was now its "acting head". US President Donald Trump and one of his top advisers, billionaire Elon Musk, have been strongly critical of the agency.

The agency spent more than $30 billion in the last fiscal year, and was expected to obligate billion more in the coming quarter — all but the first three weeks of which will be covered by the aid freeze.

The agency’s future is uncertain amid changes under the Trump administration and a freeze imposed on billions of dollars in foreign assistance.