JAKARTA - President Donald Trump's administration said it placed all personnel in USAID's foreign aid agency, except for leaders and staff, for paid administrative leave. Trump also removed 1,600 USAID worker positions in the United States, aka being dismissed.
The Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk is leading efforts to shut down the US Agency for International Development.
"I regret to inform you that you have been affected by the Reduction of the Armed Forces," reads the email sent to one of the fired workers seen by Reuters, Monday, February 24.
Those who receive the notification will be dismissed from effective federal service April 24.
USAID said on its website, all direct workers except for essential workers would be granted leave and 1,600 USAID personnel in the US would be dismissed.
Earlier notices sent to staff and reviewed by Reuters said some 2,000 positions in the US would be removed.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Friday, a federal judge paved the way for the Trump administration to give leave to thousands of USAID workers, which is a setback for government unions suing what they call an attempt to dissolve the institution.
Two senior USAID officials estimate that the majority of the approximately 4,600 USAID personnel, US Civil Service and Foreign Service career staff, will be granted administrative leave.
'The government and Foreign Minister (Marco) Rubio have a narrow view in reducing the expertise and capacity of the US unique crisis response,' said Marcia Wong, one of the former US officials.
"When a disease outbreak occurs, the population evacuates, these USAID experts will be on the ground and first deployed to help stabilize and provide assistance," he continued.
Trump ordered the halt to foreign aid for 90 days shortly after taking office on January 20, halting funding for everything from programs fighting hunger and deadly disease to providing shelters for millions of refugees around the world.
The government has approved an exception to a $5.3 billion freeze, mostly for security programs and narcotics eradication, according to a list of exceptions reviewed by Reuters that include limited humanitarian aid.
USAID programs get less than $100 million exemptions, compared to around $40 billion of programs it manages each year before freezing.
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