THE United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced that it would be placing its staff on administrative leave, both in the US and abroad, following President Trump’s plan to dismantle the organisation.
This move, seen as controversial by many, has sparked widespread criticisms from Democrats and human rights organisations, who argued that it would have a devastating impact on global humanitarian efforts.
USAID supports health and emergency programmes in over 120 countries, including some of the world’s poorest regions.
Trump’s decision to dismantle the agency is part of a long-standing narrative among hard-line conservatives and libertarians, who believe that US taxpayer money should be spent on domestic priorities rather than foreign aid.
The agency, in a statement on its website on Tuesday, said that the staff leave would begin before midnight on February 7, 2024.
“Essential personnel expected to continue working will be informed by agency leadership by Thursday, February 6, at 3:00 pm (EST),” the statement read.
According to the statement, USAID is planning to repatriate its personnel from overseas posts within 30 days and terminate non-essential contracts, in collaboration with the Department of State, and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
The agency said it would consider case-by-case exceptions and return travel extensions based on personal or family hardship, mobility or safety concerns, or other reasons.
The decision to restrict USAID’s activities is led by billionaire Elon Musk.
Musk, considered a “special government employee,” by the White House, heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
He has been vocal in his criticism of USAID, describing it as a hub of “radical-left Marxists” who are anti-American.
The billionaire alleged that USAID was involved in illicit activities, including “rogue CIA work” and funding bioweapon research, such as COVID-19, which he claimed resulted in millions of deaths.
Established in 1961, USAID has a budget exceeding $40 billion, representing a relatively small proportion of the US government’s total annual expenditure of approximately $7 trillion.
Most of Trump’s decisions since he resumed on January 20 have been termed controversial by many.
In another controversial development, Trump announced that the US would take over the war-shattered Gaza Strip.
He vowed to relocate the original inhabitants – the Palestinians – to neighbouring countries and develop the area.
According to Aljazeera, Trump unveiled the plan during a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who visited the White House on Tuesday, February 4 for a bilateral meeting.
Trump’s comments about Palestinians leaving Gaza have sparked a lot of outrage, with many fearing it could lead to an ethnic cleansing.
Hamas has strongly condemned the plan, saying it would only worsen chaos and tension in the region. He vowed that the people of Gaza would resist the decision.
The ICIR reports that Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 61,700 people, according to an adjusted toll by the Gaza Government Media Office, which said thousands of missing people had been considered dead.
The ICIR reported these latest decisions by the Trump administration are part of his broader plans for the US and the rest of the world.
He signed 42 executive orders on his inauguration day on Monday, January 20, reversing several policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
Some of the orders include pulling out the US from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Paris Climate Agreement, ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, and recognising only two genders – male and female.
The list includes defending women from gender ideology extremism, reinstating the ban on transgender military service, and renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, among others.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance
A good start. Once the waste is trimmed, we’ll be well positioned to give targeted aid to those truly suffering. First, Americans living in tents in storm-damaged western North Carolina and fire-swept Los Angeles. Then we’ll help those abroad, as we have always and will always do.