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The Trump administration’s decision to almost completely wind down the operations of its leading foreign aid body threatens to reverse major gains in Africa, development experts told Semafor.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is expected to cut its staff of 10,000 to about 300, according to multiple reports, with only about a dozen people left to focus on Africa. The agency, the world’s biggest aid donor, managed a budget of around $50 billion last year and plays a key role in African development projects, many of which have now been paused or shut down due to a funding freeze. All USAID staff were placed on administrative leave from Friday, according to a notice posted on the agency’s website, with the exception of mission-critical workers.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a veteran development bank executive, who previously worked with USAID’s Prosper Africa and Power Africa units, described the moves as “upsetting and irrational.” Nnedi Nwuneli, CEO of the advocacy group ONE Campaign, said disruptions caused by the dismantling of USAID “threaten to reverse historic gains and complicate future progress and partnerships” on the continent.
