WASHINGTON: The US government’s giant humanitarian agency USAID on Tuesday (Feb 4) announced it was placing its staff in the United States and around the world on administrative leave as it moved to recall employees from overseas postings.
The agency said in a statement on its website that the staff leave will begin shortly before midnight on Feb 7 and will concern “all USAID direct hire personnel … with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs”.
“Thank you for your service,” the statement read.
The move is part of Trump’s – and his billionaire ally Elon Musk’s – radical drive to shrink the US government, which has shocked Washington and caused angry protests from Democrats and the human rights community.
The aid arm of US foreign policy, USAID funds health and emergency programs in around 120 countries, including the world’s poorest regions.
It is seen as a vital source of soft power for the United States in its struggle for influence with rivals including China, where Musk has extensive business interests.
Musk has called USAID “a viper’s nest of radical-left marxists who hate America” and has vowed to shut it down.
