Under Trump’s cost-cutting plan, USAID’s workforce will decrease from 10,000 to 300 employees

USAID’s global workforce might drop from 10,000 to 300 due to the Trump administration’s severe budget cutbacks, which would affect crucial humanitarian initiatives around the globe.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) may lose 10,000 employees globally to less than 300 as a result of the Trump administration’s severe budget cutbacks, raising serious questions about the viability of humanitarian assistance initiatives across the globe.

The action is a component of President Trump’s larger initiative to reduce federal expenditure, and it is spearheaded by cost-cutting advisor Elon Musk under the recently established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

By Friday midnight, thousands of USAID employees, including those stationed overseas, are anticipated to be placed on administrative leave.

Plans for the impacted personnel’s return trip and the termination of non-essential contracts were announced online. According to the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), just 294 employees have been designated as “essential.”

Gayle Smith, the former head of USAID, denounced the cuts and warned that destroying the agency’s activities would send “dangerous messages.” She claimed that the United States was sending a message that it didn’t care if people lived or died and that it wasn’t a trustworthy partner.

Hundreds of assistance projects, including vital health efforts in nations like Kenya, have already been stopped by the cuts. USAID-funded HIV program head Nelson Otwoma detailed the “massive job layoffs” and interruptions to healthcare services. “Medications are not being given to people. “Everything has come to a complete stop,” he stated.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and AFSA have launched a lawsuit, claiming that the cuts are illegal under federal and constitutional law. USAID operations, contracts, and an independent acting director must all be restored, according to the lawsuit.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is now acting as the head of USAID, defended the reduction, claiming that aid initiatives must be in line with American goals.

Workers in Guatemala were informed by Rubio that “we’re not walking away from foreign aid.” “But the programs must be ones that we can defend.”

In order to prevent hurting USAID’s mission and beneficiaries, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi referred to the reduction as “horrible news for global public health” and advocated for more careful adjustments.

The globe is struggling with an unclear future for U.S. humanitarian aid, and the situation has raised concerns about long-term effects on global health and development.