The USA under - Trump USAID's cuts continue

The US development aid agency USAID is to cut around 1,600 jobs in the USA. In addition, all of the agency's directly employed employees worldwide - with a few exceptions for employees in special functions - have been placed on leave, according to a statement on the USAID website. The leave has been in effect since the night from Sunday to Monday (local time).

Last week, the major development authority suffered a setback in court. A federal judge in the capital Washington reversed his preliminary decision in an expedited procedure to temporarily halt layoffs in the authority.

For personnel abroad, USAID plans to offer a voluntary, agency-funded repatriation program as well as "other benefits," the statement said. "In the coming week, we will announce details on how to repatriate personal items from former USAID worksites and return government-issued equipment," the agency said.

Radical restructuring of the US state apparatus

The administration of US President Donald Trump is pushing ahead with a radical restructuring of the state apparatus, which is particularly affecting USAID . In January, Trump had already frozen the agency's funds for an internal review. He repeatedly stated that USAID was run by radical "madmen" who were wasting taxpayers' money.

USAID ist eine der größten Organisationen seiner Art weltweit und organisierte zahlreiche Hilfsmaßnahmen in aller Welt – von der Aids-Hilfe bis zum Wiederaufbau in Kriegsregionen. In den betroffenen Ländern sind die Sorgen groß, dass bei Ausbleiben der Hilfeleistungen Zehntausende von Menschen in Not gestürzt werden könnten.