The US administration will shut down all overseas positions of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by September 30, The Guardian reported, citing an obtained US State Department document.
According to the publication, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio "ordered the abolishment of the agency’s entire international workforce, transferring control of foreign assistance programs directly to the state department." The directive affects hundreds of USAID personnel worldwide, including diplomatic staff, contractors, and local employees in more than 100 countries.
As previously reported, the European Union plans to replace USAID in developing countries, focusing on promoting democracy.
On February 3, the US administration actually suspended the activities of USAID, which used to allocate major funds to finance international organizations. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was appointed the agency’s temporary chief, announced on March 10 that the government had cut more than 83% of USAID programs.
Instead, the US Department of State plans to establish a $2.9-billion "America First Opportunity Fund" (A1OF), which, in Rubio’s words, will promptly respond to crises, maintain active communication with important partners such as India and Jordan, support the necessary repatriation efforts and counter strategic threats from the main rivals such as China.
