Agency for International Development is an independent agency of the United States government that administers most of the nation’s economic, technical, and humanitarian foreign aid programs. These programs are designed to improve the quality of life in developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and central and eastern Europe. The agency, which is commonly referred to as USAID or simply AID, helps these nations use their resources to become self-supporting.
USAID works to improve education, farm and industrial production, health care, nutrition, and population planning. It gives loans and grants to build hospitals, housing, and schools, and to set up small businesses. It also funds communications systems, small factories, power plants, and rural roads. USAID also provides famine and disaster relief, including food, medical aid, and temporary housing, to any needy nation.
Congress created the agency in 1961. From 1979 to 1999, it was part of the International Development Cooperation Agency.
