USAID staff to be reduced by more than 34 times

The administration of the US President Donald Trump plans to reduce the number of employees at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from more than 10 000 to 290.

This is reported by The New York Times, citing sources.

The 34-fold reduction in staff will include workers who specialize in health and humanitarian assistance. USAID officials are pushing for smaller cuts, so they have submitted to the State Department lists of personnel they consider essential for relief and other critical programs.

The Trump administrationʼs new plans came a day before nearly all of the agencyʼs full-time employees, including diplomatic staff, were placed on indefinite administrative leave. In addition, virtually all contractors will lose their employment contracts.

On February 3, The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who temporarily took control of USAID as acting administrator (he later delegated authority to Pete Marocco), insisted that the goal was not to stop providing foreign aid.

"But now we have insubordination," he said, adding that USAID staff "completely refused to cooperate, so we had no choice but to take drastic measures to bring this situation under control".

Two unions representing USAID employees have filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant, as well as the agency itself, the State Department and the Treasury Department, alleging that the cuts and cancellation of aid contracts around the world are unconstitutional and violate the separation of powers.

“What we are seeing is an illegal takeover of this agency by the Trump administration, which is a clear violation of basic constitutional principles”, said Robin Thurston, director of one of the two human rights organizations that filed the lawsuit.

• USAID was founded in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy. It provides billions of dollars each year to alleviate poverty, treat disease, and respond to famine and natural disasters. The agency also promotes democracy and development by supporting non-governmental organizations, independent media, and social initiatives.
• USAID is the worldʼs largest donor. In fiscal year 2023, the United States provided $72 billion in assistance worldwide.

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