USAID staff will be licensed from Friday

Thousands of employees of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will be licensed on Friday night, the agency said in a statement on its website.

In the announcement, Usaid said that all “direct rental staff” will leave licensed at the end of this week, except those in “critical functions of the mission, central leadership and specially designated programs.”

The measure is the last of a series of cuts that President Donald Trump has made to the programs financed by the Government since he returned to office last month.

Many have argued that the option to close it could have a deep impact on humanitarian programs worldwide.

USAID said he would work with the State Department to organize and pay for return trips for his many personnel published outside the US.

Employees who are part of the exceptions will be counted at 3:00 p.m. EDT (20:00 GMT) on Thursday.

TO statement Published on the USAID website concludes with the message: “Thank you for your service.”

The agency, which provides humanitarian aid to more than 100 countries, employees 10,000 people worldwide and two thirds of these people work abroad, according to the Congress Research Service.

On Tuesday, many USAID employees received an email by notifying them that they had been placed on a paid administrative license.

The email, obtained by BBC News, told employees that they must remain “available” by telephone and email during business hours, but are not allowed to enter USAID buildings.

Since he returned to the White House last month, Trump and his allies have prioritized government reduction.

As part of that movement, The Trump administration focused on Usaid.

Earlier this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio became the interim chief of USAID, merging a government agency in another.

Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla who was designated to direct a new agency to identify expenses of expenses in the United States government, said Usaid should be closed since it is “out of repair.”

Many have warned that closing the USAID doors would have devastating effects on vulnerable populations worldwide.

USAID activities range from providing prosthetic limbs to injured soldiers in Ukraine, to clean the land mines and contain the propagation of Ebola in Africa.

Democrats in Washington DC have been particularly critical of movement.

“(USAID ES) A foreign policy tool with bipartisan origins that is fundamental in this dangerous global environment,” wrote New Jersey Andy Kim senator on social networks. “Destripation means giving our ability to compete and keep the United States safe.”

The agency, founded in 1961, has bases in 60 countries and works in dozens of others.

USAID achieved more than $ 40B (£ 32.25b) in fiscal year 2023, according to the Congress investigation service.