Thousands of USAID employees placed on administrative leave

On February 4, USAID leadership issued an agency memorandum informing over 10,000 USAID employees globally that they would be placed on administrative leave by the end of Friday, February 7. Employees posted abroad are expected to return to the United States within 30 days. Earlier in the day, about 1,400 US staff had been placed on indefinite administrative leave, effective immediately. This follows previous administration actions placing over 60 senior USAID officials on leave and merging the historically independent agency with the State Department.

USAID has long been a key player in promoting sexual and reproductive health worldwide, providing vital resources for family planning, maternal health, and HIV/AIDS prevention, especially in low-income countries. This systematic dismantling of USAID effectively eliminates the agency’s ability to operate and function in the US and globally, effectively ending existing international programs and putting the health and rights of people around the world at risk.