Aid organization World Vision is preparing to lay off as many 3,000 workers worldwide, underscoring the dire impact the U.S. foreign aid freeze has on the relief efforts of a core constituency supporting the Trump presidency: evangelical Christians.
Edward Brown, vice president at World Vision, disclosed the layoff plans in a confidential meeting on Friday between representatives of mostly Christian faith-based aid groups and Peter Marocco, the U.S. State Department official overseeing the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development. The State Department was also represented by Albert Gombis, the acting U.S. undersecretary for civilian security, democracy, and human rights.
World Vision declined a request for comment. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment. But one Republican source told Devex on Wednesday that the State Department has begun this week to rescind termination orders for some contracts with World Vision and other aid entities, raising the prospect that the number of layoffs could be considerably smaller.
About the author
Colum Lynch
Colum Lynch is an award-winning reporter and Senior Global Reporter for Devex. He covers the intersection of development, diplomacy, and humanitarian relief at the United Nations and beyond. Prior to Devex, Colum reported on foreign policy and national security for Foreign Policy Magazine and the Washington Post. Colum was awarded the 2011 National Magazine Award for digital reporting for his blog Turtle Bay. He has also won an award for groundbreaking reporting on the U.N.’s failure to protect civilians in Darfur.
