24.02.2025 09:01
It has been reported that the U.S. administration will close the 2,000-person staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), placing all but a very small portion of the remaining employees on mandatory leave.
President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced in a notice sent to USAID employees that they have been laid off as a continuation of the decision to halt foreign aid.
The written notification sent to USAID employees stated, "As of 23:59 Turkish time on Sunday, February 23, 2025, all personnel directly hired by USAID, except for those responsible for critical missions, essential leadership, and specially designated programs, will be placed on administrative leave worldwide."
This development came after a federal judge in the U.S. allowed the Trump administration to lay off thousands of USAID employees both domestically and abroad.
DISPUTES RELATED TO USAID
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order regarding foreign aid immediately after taking office on January 20. The order noted that the U.S. would cut payments to foreign countries from all ministries and agencies responsible for foreign development aid programs, and a 90-day review period was initiated to assess the alignment of the program with U.S. foreign policy.
FOREIGN AID HAS BEEN HALTED
The U.S. Department of State also announced on January 27 that all foreign aid funded by the Department and USAID had been halted.
Elon Musk, head of DOGE, announced that employees were "placed on administrative leave" due to issues he faced with USAID executives. The agency's social media accounts were also shut down.
Subsequently, Washington District Court Judge Amir Ali ruled that funding for all foreign aid programs financed by USAID would be temporarily reinstated.