USAID puts staff on leave
The administration of US President Donald Trump has ordered most of the staff at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to take leave as part of the Republican’s goal to radically reduce the size of the government, Al Jazeera reported on February 5th.
USAID staff will be recalled from their positions in foreign countries within 30 days, according to the agency.
Over half of Washington’s $72 billion foreign aid budget was disbursed by USAID in 2023.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) said that all staff are to be put on leave from February 7th, with the exception of “designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs”. The agency stated that it would allow for certain exceptions for some staff, based on “personal or family hardship, mobility or safety concerns, or other reasons”.
“For example, the agency will consider exceptions based on the timing of dependents’ school term, personal or familial medical needs, pregnancy, and other reasons. Further guidance on how to request an exception will be forthcoming,” a statement from USAID said.
Over 10,000 people are employed at USAID, with two-thirds of them assigned abroad, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has criticised the aid agency, labelling it as a “criminal organisation” and a “viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America.”
Critics have argued that dismantling the agency via consecutive action goes against the constitution because the status of the agency was made through an act of Congress.
Al Jazeera
