The U.S. State Department has taken a major step toward building a new humanitarian system following the restructuring of USAID. A newly announced $240 million humanitarian award to Catholic Relief Services marks the first major funding action under the department's new approach to humanitarian assistance.
When the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was stripped of its independent mandate in July 2025—cutting more than 80% of its programs and staff—it left a vacuum in the global aid system. Commentators have been quick to suggest that the private sector could “replace” USAID. On paper, the idea sounds efficient. In reality, it’s […]
The rapid termination of thousands of programs under the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has created an unusual situation in the overseas contracting world. While the agency has canceled a large share of its active grants and contracts, the work does not simply disappear. Every contract must be formally closed out—financially, legally, and operationally—and […]
Kabul, Afghanistan — In early 2025, a political shift in Washington triggered one of the most sweeping aid shutdowns in modern history. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), once a cornerstone of post-conflict stabilization in countries like Afghanistan, was dissolved and folded into the U.S. State Department. For contractors, NGOs, and aid workers on […]
(POC) - AECOM will provide program management advisory and technical advisory support to help Ukraine rebuild its infrastructure, the company announced last month. The Dallas-based firm signed a memorandum of understanding with Ukraine’s Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development to serve as its reconstruction delivery partner.