The Trump administration is taking steps to terminate or put on leave almost all employees of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Except for specific personnel responsible for critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programs, all USAID employees will be placed on administrative leave globally starting at 11:59pm EST on Sunday (04:59 GMT Monday), as announced on the aid agency’s website.
About 1,600 US-based personnel will be laid off simultaneously, according to the announcement.
Individuals affected will receive detailed notifications on February 23, 2025, with further instructions and information regarding their benefits and rights,” the notice stated.
Essential personnel designated to continue working will be informed by Agency leadership by 5 pm EST (22:00 GMT) on February 23, 2025.
A prior notice sent to employees had indicated that approximately 2,000 US-based positions would be cut.
No explanation was given for the discrepancy.
This decision follows a US judge’s ruling on Friday allowing the Trump administration to proceed with its plans to recall thousands of USAID staff from overseas within 30 days.
The agency’s website stated, “For overseas staff, USAID plans to offer a voluntary Agency-funded return travel program and additional benefits.”
“USAID is dedicated to ensuring the safety of its overseas staff. Until they return home, staff will maintain access to Agency systems and diplomatic and other resources. In the upcoming week, we will provide instructions on retrieving personal belongings from former USAID workspaces and returning government-issued devices.”
Under the leadership of tech mogul Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, the Trump administration is working to dismantle the primary agency for distributing US humanitarian aid abroad.
Musk – who has referred to USAID as a “criminal organization” and a “viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America” – along with other Trump supporters, claim that the agency is plagued by inefficiency, fraud, and a liberal ideological agenda that is beyond its mandate.
Former USAID officials and humanitarian workers have expressed opposition to Trump’s actions, warning that the agency’s demise will negatively impact millions of vulnerable individuals worldwide and undermine US soft power.
“Eliminating the unique crisis response capabilities of US experts who work to contain disease outbreaks and stabilize displaced populations is a short-sighted, high-risk, and frankly foolish decision,” stated Marcia Wong, a former deputy assistant administrator for USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.
Established in 1961 by former US President John F Kennedy, USAID is the largest single donor of humanitarian aid globally, distributing over half of Washington’s $72 billion foreign aid budget in 2023.
