
The administration of US President Donald Trump announced that it will suspend all contract employees of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) worldwide and will pull thousands of staff members working abroad.
"On Friday, February 7, all USAID contract employees will be suspended worldwide," said a notice on the USAID website, which has been down since last weekend.
USAID's workforce numbers more than 10,000. About two-thirds of the staff serve abroad, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS). The agency has more than 60 national and regional missions.
USAID has been present in Kosovo since 1999, and since then has invested more than $1 billion in Kosovo's development.
Over the past 25 years, USAID has developed programs to combat corruption, promote the rule of law and good governance, combat disinformation and advocate for independent media, strengthen civil society and democracy, develop economic development, and attract foreign investment.
For USAID staff abroad, Washington is preparing a plan in coordination with the State Department and will cover the personnel's travel expenses to return to the United States within 30 days, the announcement said.
USAID leadership will consider making exceptions based on personal hardship or concerns about mobility and safety, according to the announcement.
The announcement emphasized that essential personnel expected to continue working will be notified by agency leadership by Thursday, February 6.
"Thank you for your service," the announcement said at the end.
President Trump intends to merge USAID, Washington's main humanitarian agency that distributes billions of dollars in aid abroad, with the State Department, and disband it as an independent entity.
On Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that he is now the acting administrator of USAID, stressing that the agency is "totally unresponsive" and accusing staff there of being "unprepared to answer simple questions" about the programs.
He notified Congress in a letter of the agency's reorganization, saying that some parts of USAID could be merged with the State Department, while the remaining parts could be disbanded.
But since Congress established USAID as an independent institution within the executive branch, the president does not have the authority to abolish it without Congressional authorization, according to a CRS report this week.
Hundreds of USAID programs, which provide vital assistance around the world, were halted after Trump, on January 20, ordered a freeze on most US aid, saying he wanted to ensure it was consistent with his foreign policy.
He tasked billionaire Elon Musk, who claimed that USAID is a "criminal" organization, with shrinking the agency.
In fiscal year 2023, the United States allocated $72 billion in aid worldwide for everything from women's health in conflict zones to access to clean water, HIV/AIDS treatments, energy security, and anti-corruption work.
The funding, less than 1% of the total United States budget, is essential to Washington's efforts to build alliances around the world, strengthen its diplomacy and counter the influence of adversaries like China and Russia in developing countries./.REL