US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US Agency for International Development, or USAID, is officially halting its foreign assistance programs.

In a statement titled "Making Foreign Aid Great Again" released on Tuesday, Rubio said the change is effective as of July 1. He criticized the agency by saying, "Development objectives have rarely been met, instability has often worsened, and anti-American sentiment has only grown."

The statement also said, "Foreign assistance programs that align with the administration policies -- and which advance American interests -- will be administered by the State Department."

It added assistance programs "will be delivered with more accountability, strategy, and efficiency" under the department.

USAID has become a target for personnel cuts and program reviews under the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which was created following the inauguration of President Donald Trump in January.

Concern is growing that the fate of the agency will seriously undermine humanitarian assistance to developing economies.

The English medical journal The Lancet, in its most recent edition published Monday, estimated that the USAID funding cuts could result in more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030.