The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced it is halting over 90% of foreign aid from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), reports CNN.
"In total, approximately 5,800 USAID grants have been terminated, and over 500 USAID grants have been withheld. The total estimated value of the withheld grants is around $57 billion," the Trump administration stated.
The document also mentions that in addition to the termination of USAID grants, "about 4,100 state grants have been terminated and approximately 2,700 state grants have been retained."
Later on Wednesday, the administration clarified in a statement that "there are still 297 contracts that need to be reviewed."
CNN reports that the significant reduction in foreign aid is a blow to the operations of non-profit organizations and contractors. Aid programs worldwide have come to a halt due to the large-scale funding freeze and the review of billions in assistance.
This occurred after the Trump administration either placed most USAID staff on leave or terminated them.
The update from the administration was submitted in response to a lawsuit challenging the overall suspension of foreign aid.
According to the document, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday "made final decisions on each award on an individual basis, affirmatively choosing either to retain the award or to terminate it according to the terms of the document or an independent legal authority as such, which does not align with the national interests and foreign policy of the United States."
However, the plaintiffs in this lawsuit on Wednesday disputed the claim that Rubio personally reviewed all termination decisions, stating that "it would be impossible for one person or even a group of people to meaningfully review all these contracts and decisions in such a short time."