 "USAID mass layoffs loom as Trump cuts deep into agency's ranks")
Most USAID staff will be placed on leave or dismissed by midnight on Sunday, the assistance agency announced, as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to cut federal expenditures.
According to a post on the US Agency for International Development website, around 1,600 personnel in the United States would be put off as part of a “reduction-in-force” exercise.
All other USAID-hired personnel will be placed on administrative leave worldwide, except for those responsible for “mission-critical functions, core leadership, and/or specially designated programs.”
The action is a step ahead in Trump’s efforts to demolish USAID, which employs over 10,000 people and oversees various humanitarian and development initiatives worldwide.
The agency announced earlier this month that all staff would be placed on administrative leave – a directive that faced legal challenges.
But on Friday, a federal judge lifted an order pausing the Trump administration’s implementation of plans to gut USAID.
In its statement on Sunday, the agency said that remaining staff expected to continue working would be informed by management by 5:00 pm (2200 GMT) that day.
USAID added that it will fund return travel expenses for staff based overseas.
“In the coming week, we will provide details on how to retrieve personal items from the former USAID workspaces and return government issued devices,” it said.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsTrump and his allies – including billionaire donor Elon Musk – allege USAID is rife with “fraud,” but have provided little proof of the accusations.
Its budget of more than $40 billion is mandated by Congress, with its programs ranging from governance to life-saving food assistance.
The decades-old agency has, over the years, faced criticism in the aid sector for its overhead costs and questions on whether some of its programs achieve their objectives.
USAID has, however, also been a key US tool of global “soft power” – the ability of a country to persuade others through its attractiveness.
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