Acting USAID Director and Secretary of State Marco Rubio is making waves with a significant downsizing of the agency, keeping only 294 of its 14,000 employees worldwide.
This substantial cut reduces USAID’s workforce by 97%. According to an internal document shared by former USAID assistant administrator for global health Atul Gawande, the details of these cuts are clear.
The Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance will retain 70 program staff globally, with an additional 8 personnel in Washington, D.C., totaling 78. The Bureau for Global Health will keep 69 program staff worldwide, supplemented by 8 in Washington, rounding up to 77.
In contrast, the Latin America and the Caribbean division faces deep cuts, retaining no program staff and only 4 personnel each from overseas and Washington, totaling 8.
Europe and Eurasia are slightly less affected, keeping 2 program staff and an additional 8 split between overseas and Washington, totaling 10. Asia follows the trend of the Latin America and the Caribbean division, with no program staff retained, balancing the numbers with 4 overseas and 4 in Washington, totaling 8. Africa remains minimally staffed with 4 program personnel, supported by 4 each from overseas and Washington, totaling 12.
The Middle East retains 13 program staff, with 8 others split between overseas and Washington, totaling 21. Management maintains all 75 staff, signaling a focus on internal stability and oversight. This drastic reduction leaves only 2% of the original workforce to continue USAID’s mission.
Rubio asserts that USAID’s lifesaving assistance for health and humanitarian needs will persist. However, his team has communicated that the entire agency will imminently shrink from 14,000 to 294 people, with just 12 in Africa. This sweeping move has sparked widespread conversation and concern.
On Wednesday, USAID placed its global employees on administrative leave, ordering them to return to the U.S. This directive excludes only those deemed essential for “mission-critical functions.” The official website stated that on Friday, February 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm (EST), all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally.
Essential personnel expected to remain working will be informed by Agency leadership by Thursday, February 6, at 3:00 pm (EST). For USAID personnel currently posted outside the United States, plans are underway to arrange and pay for return travel to the U.S. within 30 days. The agency will also provide for the termination of PSC and ISC contracts not deemed essential.
Case-by-case exceptions and return travel extensions will be considered based on personal or family hardship, mobility or safety concerns, or other reasons. Examples include the timing of dependents’ school term, personal or familial medical needs, and pregnancy. Further guidance on how to request an exception will be forthcoming.
For years, USAID has operated with minimal oversight, directing American taxpayer dollars to questionable initiatives worldwide. These initiatives include $1.5 million to “advance diversity, equity, and inclusion” in Serbian businesses and $70,000 for a DEI-themed musical in Ireland.
Other expenditures have included $2.5 million for electric vehicles in Vietnam and $47,000 for a “transgender opera” in Colombia.
There has also been $32,000 spent on a “transgender comic book” in Peru and $2 million for taxpayer-funded sex changes and LGBT activism in Guatemala. USAID allocated $6 million to fund tourism in Egypt and funneled millions to EcoHealth Alliance, a group linked to gain-of-function research in Wuhan.
Furthermore, USAID has faced scrutiny for sending funds to a nonprofit linked to designated terrorist groups, even after an inspector general’s investigation was launched.
Under President Trump, USAID’s unchecked spending has finally faced a reckoning. For decades, American taxpayers unknowingly funded radical initiatives abroad. Meanwhile, important domestic concerns such as border security and veterans’ welfare were often sidelined.
