The Trump administration is executing a near-total wipeout of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), cutting its global workforce from more than 10,000 down to just 294 employees—a staggering 97 percent reduction, Reuters reports. Key regional offices are being left almost empty, with only 12 staffers slated to remain in Africa and just eight in Asia. An overhaul led by President Donald Trump’s billionaire ally Elon Musk—who has called the agency a “ball of worms”—has already seen hundreds of internal contractors let go and scores of remaining staff placed on leave. Critics warn that this level of gutting could leave USAID functionally inoperable, disrupting humanitarian aid and development programs worldwide. Former USAID administrator J. Brian Atwood called the move devastating, warning, “A lot of people will not survive.” While Secretary of State Marco Rubio has suggested that some projects may be exempt, the overall future of the agency’s operations is looking dire.
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