The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has issued a directive to all its staff in various countries around the world after announcing that they will be placed on administrative leave effective Friday.
This comes after USAID in a directive issued Tuesday, February 4, night ordered its American staff abroad to return to the US.
The agency, however, said that some of its employees including designated personnel responsible for specially designated programs will be spared by the directive.
The directive was issued after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday announced he would be acting administrator of USAID, confirming the de-facto takeover of the humanitarian agency by the State Department.
“On Friday, February 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm (EST) all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programs. Essential personnel expected to continue working will be informed by Agency leadership by Thursday, February 6, at 3:00 pm (EST),” said a statement posted on the USAID website, which is back online after going dark last week.
At the same time, the agency said it is preparing a plan for personnel posted outside the United States “under which the Agency would arrange and facilitate their return to the United States within 30 days, covering travel expenses.”
Also Read: 15 Top Organizations That Benefit from USAID, Where the Money Goes
The announcement also stated that USAID will terminate “contracts that are not determined to be essential” and that its leadership would review exceptions on an individual basis, considering personal hardships or concerns related to mobility and safety.
Statement by USAID
For USAID personnel currently posted outside the United States, the Agency, in coordination with missions and the Department of State, is currently preparing a plan, in accordance with all applicable requirements and laws, under which the Agency would arrange and pay for return travel to the United States within 30 days and provide for the termination of PSC and ISC contracts that are not determined to be essential.
The Agency will consider case-by-case exceptions and return travel extensions based on personal or family hardship, mobility or safety concerns, or other reasons.
For example, the Agency will consider exceptions based on the timing of dependents’ school term, personal or familial medical needs, pregnancy, and other reasons. Further guidance on how to request an exception will be forthcoming. Thank you for your service.
The Trump administration has begun dismantling the agency and frozen almost all foreign aid.
USAID, which operates in more than 60 country and regional missions, is the largest single donor globally with the US distributing $72 billion in aid during fiscal year 2023.
Also Read: UoN Sends USAID Staff on Unpaid Leave After Trump’s Order
In 2024, it accounted for 42% of all humanitarian aid tracked by the United Nations.
According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), USAID employs over 10,000 people, with nearly two-thirds working abroad.
Kenyan employees sent home
Last week, dozens of senior USAID officials and employees were placed on leave while thousands of contractors were laid off.
A memo by the agency sent to contractors and partners directed the immediate suspension of operations for several programs in Kenya, as part of a broader freeze on U.S. aid and funding that took effect after President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
The programs include the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), USAID’s Tujenge Jamii (UTJ), Nuru Ya Mtoto and Fahari Ya Jamii (FYJ) projects.
In response to the directive halting ongoing work on various initiatives, many workers at county hospitals have been sent home. These hospitals have sent work suspension memos to their employees, instructing them not to report to work until further notice.
The University of Nairobi’s (UoN) Faculty of Health Sciences also sent an undisclosed number of Kenyan employees working under USAID’s Fahari Ya Jamii (FYJ) project on a three-month unpaid leave starting February 1, 2025.
The faculty explained that the staff will remain on leave as it awaits further review of the Stop Work Order.
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