‘Almost all USAID staff are going to be laid off’

The Trump administration plans to reduce the number of employees at the United States’ largest humanitarian aid agency, USAID, from 10,000 to fewer than 300, the influential New York Times reported on Thursday.

The agency’s remaining staff will include health and humanitarian aid specialists, the newspaper reported, citing three people familiar with the plan, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Two unions representing USAID workers sued Trump and his administration on Thursday, seeking an injunction to prevent the layoffs and the closure of the agency. The lawsuit argues that the agency cannot be closed without congressional approval. The court has already ordered the cuts to be halted.

The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Times reported that the agency has been ordered to cancel about 800 grants and contracts.

Several other US media outlets, including the Washington Post, have reported on the plan to drastically reduce the number of employees at USAID.

The news comes days after USAID announced it was placing its staff in the United States and around the world on administrative leave and beginning to bring back those working abroad. The plan to shrink the size of the US government, led by Trump and his close ally, billionaire Elon Musk, has sparked a backlash in Washington. Human rights groups and Democrats have voiced outrage over the move.

Analysts say the closure of USAID would exacerbate the global humanitarian crisis. USAID funds health and emergency aid programs in 120 countries around the world. It is a key part of US foreign policy and a form of strategic “soft power” in exerting influence with rivals such as China.

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