Devex Pro Insider: USAID's 'final' gut punch, and ahoy State Department mateys

So, the list is in, and much of USAID is out — officially. Up-to-date information on thousands of terminated and active USAID programs has been shared with Congress, giving us a better sense of where the agency stands — though it won’t be standing on its own much longer. On Friday, we received word of formal plans to shutter USAID and merge it into the State Department, alongside plans to fire (again, I suppose) the agency’s staff. The Trump administration will propose legislation to officially “abolish USAID as an independent establishment” as part of its budget request to Congress for fiscal year 2026. As if “abolish” wasn’t blunt or ominous enough, USAID staff were sent a “final mission” email stating that the agency’s entire workforce will be gone by either July 1 or Sept. 2, 2025. The email tried to smooth out ruffled feathers at the end by stating: “We remain committed to ensuring this process is as smooth, respectful, and transparent as possible keeping our mission and people at the forefront” — adding that, “You exemplify the very best ideals for public service and will not be forgotten or overlooked in this transition process.” That transition process was illustrated in stunning detail by the thousands upon thousands of figures on a spreadsheet outlining which USAID programs have been cut and which have been kept. It’s a veritable smorgasbord of USAID’s portfolio — from the massive and mission-defining to the oddly specific and head-tilting. You could scroll for days (we certainly have). But beneath the data dump lies a story of seismic shifts. In total, more than 5,300 awards were axed — projects that were in all stages of life: some humming along, others waiting to get started. But thousands met the same fate — termination without a road map. It’s the clearest picture yet of how brutally the aid freeze tore through the global development industry. And yet — could there be a silver lining to all this upheaval? Some think so. At a recent Devex Pro briefing, former Republican Rep. Ted Yoho framed the chaos as a blunt, even crude, wake-up call — but one that might just create the space for long-overdue reform. Let's “get rid of the nonsense in some of these programs,” he urged, suggesting that this rupture could pave the way for a more focused, efficient, and strategic use of foreign aid tools. Others echoed the sentiment: Maybe, just maybe, the merger of USAID into the State Department will bring better alignment with foreign policy goals and more accountability in how public funds are used. And while the U.S. may be catching the headlines, Europe’s aid overhaul has been quietly underway for years, shifting from grants to investments that serve both global goals and domestic defense interests. Whether the Old Continent guts its aid programs à la Trump remains to be seen. Also in today’s edition: We have a treasure chest of gossip from the State Department (think, pirates), America’s voice is back on the air, and Christopher Landau is confirmed as deputy secretary of state, bringing with him a Trump-aligned focus on migration and China. Coming up: Next week, delegates from around the world will flock to Oxford, England, for the Skoll World Forum, the annual gathering for social entrepreneurs and innovation leaders. As usual, there’s a sprinkling of star power on the schedule, with headliners including Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and comedian and former talk show host Trevor Noah, both appearing on behalf of their respective foundations. A celebrity in his own right — well, at least to us — our Business Editor David Ainsworth will also be present. If you’d like to chat, drop him a line at david.ainsworth@devex.com. Bits and pieces Repair and progress: Speaking of Skoll, the event is usually centered around philanthropy, with foundation founders and CEOs much in demand. This year, particular scrutiny will fall on how the philanthropic sector will respond to aid cuts. It will also be interesting to see how Skoll — traditionally a pretty progressive event — may shift to address the war on woke. Meanwhile, the Skoll Foundation has named five organizations as 2025 Skoll Award winners, each receiving $2 million to grow their impact. “We are living in a time of profound upheaval. ... These leaders show us that the world may be fractured, but repair and lasting progress are possible,” said CEO Don Gips. These social innovators continue to “meet the moment with determination, innovation, and optimism for our collective future,” added Marla Blow, president and COO. Winners will be celebrated on April 3 at the forum. Free again: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, or RFE/RL, is back on air — at least for now. The move to close it followed the Trump administration’s efforts to shut down news outlets housed under the umbrella of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, or USAGM, including RFE/RL and Voice of America. USAGM reinstated RFE/RL’s grant for 2025 following a court ruling in its favor. “This is an encouraging sign that RFE/RL’s operations will be able to continue, as Congress intended,” RFE/RL President Stephen Capus said. “Millions of people rely on us for factual information in places where censorship is widespread.” RFE/RL, which reaches nearly 50 million in censorship-heavy regions, is funded by the U.S. Congress through USAGM. Swashbuckling stories: The latest "listening session" on foreign aid took place at the State Department on Thursday, one that began with how the founding fathers of the United States felt about foreign aid. "George Washington had a more restrictive, America-first kind of foreign policy," said one attendee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "That's the main thing they wanted us to know." The session was moderated by Brian Kilmeade of the conservative news program “Fox & Friends.” Kilmeade guided some 200 aid experts, implementers, think tankers, and diplomats through a discussion on America's foreign aid priorities — beginning with early America's battle with pirates on the Barbary Coast, a topic he wrote a book on over 10 years ago. "It would have been laughable and kind of comical if it weren't in a situation of such destruction and such chaos," said another attendee of the strange tangent. Next up was David Barton, an influential evangelical Christian political activist. Again, the topic turned to pirates — and how, in the early 1800s, those sailing from what is now Libya demanded that the newly formed United States send "tribute payments" in exchange for access to the Mediterranean Sea. The last speaker made a bit more sense to the attendees we spoke with: Ken Isaacs, the vice president of programs and government relations at Samaritan's Purse. Though Franklin Graham, the organization's head, recently told Time Magazine that he thought Trump's foreign aid freeze was "good," Isaacs spoke about the importance of humanitarian assistance, which he said was grounded in his own religious and moral values. "If it would have been him and a few others, this would have been appropriate," said one of the attendees. "But most of this was completely unrelated to what the topic of the listening session was supposed to be." Poles apart: The Norwegian Refugee Council is closing its Poland office after three years. “We took the decision in July 2024 given the changing context, the legally enabling environment and increasing levels of self-recovery, the significant capacity of government and civil society, and the decrease in funding for INGOs in Poland,” said Neil Brighton, country director for NRC Poland, in a LinkedIn post. Since 2022, NRC has supported over 330,000 people, including 100,000 at the East Warsaw train station. It offered legal aid, education, and housing — all done in partnership with local groups. Migration, China, Americas: Christopher Landau is officially in as deputy secretary of state, confirmed by the Senate 60–31. A former U.S. ambassador to Mexico, he’s seen as a key player in Trump’s “America First” agenda. At his confirmation hearing, Landau said the State Department should help counter global migration — something he tackled during his 2019 post as ambassador. That aligns with Trump’s promise to launch the largest deportation in U.S. history. Landau also wants U.S. companies to go head-to-head with Chinese state-owned firms for global opportunities. Big brass in the house: Nearly a dozen retired three- and four-star generals and admirals from the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s National Security Advisory Council hit Washington, D.C., last week to meet with bipartisan congressional leaders and administration officials. Their message? Strategic international aid isn’t charity — it’s how the nation outcompetes China, prevents threats, and keeps America safe, the coalition said. These aren’t just any leaders — they’ve run the U.S. Central Command, U.S. Southern Command, the Fifth Fleet, and U.S. cyber operations. It’s not clear if the message got through, though. Maybe they should try Signal? Fine point: While panelists at our Devex Pro briefing on what’s left and what’s ahead for the U.S. Agency for International Development generally agreed on the need for aid structural reforms, there were some sharp words. In a clear rebuttal to criticisms of inefficiency and mismanagement at USAID, Patrick Fine of the Brookings Institution emphasized the agency's robust oversight of its huge budget. "I want to push back on that this whole narrative that USAID was riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse," he said, pointing out the disproportionate focus on relatively minor — and “boneheaded” — expenditures, such as $25,000 or $70,000 projects, within the agency's $38 billion annual budget. "No businessman would look at those examples and say, that's a basis for characterizing this organization as wasteful or abusive or filled with fraud.” Fine also highlighted the broader implications of the critiques, suggesting they are part of a deliberate shift in policy: "This abruptness, this kind of seemingly cruel approach, was intentional," he said, arguing that it reflected a strategic decision to emphasize hard power over soft in U.S. foreign policy, favoring transactional, “chauvinistic,” coercive approaches over collaborative and diplomatic efforts. More than skin-deep: The World Happiness Report named Pure Earth the most cost-effective charity for boosting well-being. The Happier Lives Institute found that its work, especially removing lead from cosmetics in Ghana, delivers hundreds of times more happiness per dollar than most charities. At just $9 per WELLBY (a well-being year), Pure Earth tackles toxic eyeliner linked to lead poisoning in kids. In memoriam MSF fallen colleague: Alaa Abd-Elsalam Ali Okal was killed in an airstrike in Deir Al Balah, Gaza, on March 18. Alaa, just 29, joined Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières Canada as a laundry worker in September 2024 and played a vital role in supporting patients at its field hospital. He is the 10th MSF worker lost in Gaza — each one remembered, each one missed. A journalist’s duty? At 21, journalist Hossam Shabat spent 18 months documenting the war in northern Gaza, often without food, shelter, or safety. Last Monday, the Al Jazeera reporter was killed in an airstrike carried out by Israel, which claims he was actually a member of Hamas, a charge rejected by the Committee to Protect Journalists. “If you’re reading this, it means I have been killed. ... I fulfilled my duty as a journalist.” His final message urges the world not to look away from the people, the suffering, or the truth. “I risked everything to report the truth, and now, I am finally at rest—something I haven’t known in the past 18 months. I did all this because I believe in the Palestinian cause. I believe this land is ours, and it has been the highest honor of my life to die defending it and serving its people.” To read his full statement, click here. Moving On Roberto Benes has taken on the role of UNICEF regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean. Based in Panama City, he will lead and oversee initiatives across 36 countries, drawing on over 25 years of experience with UNICEF in various global positions. Open Philanthropy is adding Michael Brownlie as director of government relations. Brownlie most recently was chief of staff to former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. Javier Guzman is transitioning from his role as director of global health policy at the Center for Global Development to division chief of health, nutrition, and population at the Inter-American Development Bank. During four years at CGD, he led initiatives improving health policy and tackling global health challenges. U.S. President Donald Trump has picked Susan Monarez to be his nominee to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Siobhan Murphy has been named CEO of the Education Development Center. With over 25 years at EDC, Murphy steered the organization's programmatic strategies and business development. Her background spans public health and the management of complex contracts and projects. Jessy Nassar has joined Save the Children International. She’ll be working on improving humanitarian access for children — a huge and growing challenge in today’s crisis zones. “We should find ways to guide operational efforts to improve access through all the means available,” she said. Dr. Ouma Oluga has been named permanent secretary for health in Kenya, and Dr. Esperance Luvindao is now minister of health in Namibia. Jonathan Papoulidis has joined NYU’s Center on International Cooperation as a nonresident fellow. He’ll be diving into next-gen approaches to fragility, resilience, and development. Lawrence J. Sacks is headed to the Inter-American Development Bank. He’ll be leading external engagement and communications, working across governments, private sector businesses, and civil society to drive growth in Latin America and the Caribbean. Lavanya Singh joined the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation at Stellenbosch University as head of laboratory and quality management. Singh holds a Ph.D. in virology and has over 10 years of experience as an HPCSA-registered medical scientist, including work on HIV drug resistance. Up next Demystifying UK's DFI technical assistance: How it works and how to engage. Devex is holding a technical assistance Pro Funding briefing on April 2. Join Simon Meier, head of BII Plus at British International Investment, for a live conversation breaking down how it all works — from boosting investment readiness to scaling impact on the ground. The Global AI Summit on Africa in Kigali, Rwanda, on April 3-4 will explore the theme “AI and Africa’s Demographic Dividend: Reimagining Economic Opportunities for Africa’s Workforce." This inaugural event is being hosted by the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum. More than 1,000 participants from 95 countries are expected. Jobs of the week Your Devex Pro membership includes access to the world’s largest global development job board. Here are some featured opportunities from Devex Talent Solutions, our very own boutique recruitment agency: • Regional Director, Africa, Feed the Children (Africa, remote). • Senior Director, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL), Feed the Children (Africa, remote). Check out more opportunities here, and use the filters to find your perfect fit.