Laid-off USAID workers struggle to find work as new job cuts approach
By Colum Lynch // 02 September 2025
For Kevin Melton, the email ending his decade-long career as a U.S. government aid worker arrived on March 27. Under the subject title Specific Notice of Reduction in Force, the curt missive informed him that his days in government service were numbered.
“This letter is to formally notify you that your … appointment is being terminated at the expiration of your appointment or July 1, 2025, whichever is earlier,” it stated. “This termination is based solely on the exigencies of the Agency and in no way reflects inadequate or poor performance on your part. The need for your position no longer exists.”
The notice came as something of a blow, but not a surprise.
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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.
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