State Dept orders shutdown of USAID overseas missions, recalls staff, sources say

The USAID building sits closed to employees after a memo was issued advising agency personnel to work remotely, in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 3, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department has ordered the shutdown of overseas missions of U.S. Agency for International Development and is working to recall thousands of staff worldwide, two sources familiar with the discussions said on Tuesday.

The move comes as the administration of President Donald Trump is moving to merge USAID, Washington's primary humanitarian agency that distributes billions of dollars worth of aid abroad, with the State Department and effectively dismantle the agency as an independent entity.