The staff of the US Foreign Assistance Agency could be reduced from about 10,000 to fewer than 300 globally as the Trump administration makes major cuts to government spending.
According to foreign media, all but a small number of essential staff have already been ordered to be placed on administrative leave at midnight on Friday, including thousands of employees who are abroad. An online announcement says a plan is being prepared for the return journey and completion of the 'mission' of non-essential contractors.
A union representing employees, which is involved in a legal challenge to the plan, told the BBC's US partner CBS News that only 294 staff were considered essential.
Trump's cuts to USAID, supported by his cost-cutting adviser Elon Musk, have changed the global aid system, with hundreds of programs now frozen in countries around the world, writes A2 CNN.
His team accuses USAID of wasting taxpayer money and failing to align with the priorities of the "America First" policy.
Polls have shown skepticism among many Americans about foreign aid. An AP-NORC poll from March 2023 suggested that as many as nine in 10 Republicans thought the country was spending too much.
The US is by far the largest single provider of humanitarian aid worldwide. It has bases in more than 60 countries and works in dozens more, with much of its work carried out by its contractors. (A2 Televizion)
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