USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, or BHA, has furloughed hundreds of its institutional support contractors — slicing away 500 staff members, or nearly 40% of BHA’s team. That’s according to five sources close to the matter, including two former USAID officials.
“They’ve effectively just taken away the U.S.’ ability to respond to a humanitarian emergency,” one of those former officials told Devex. “Even if they waive the funding [freeze], there are no people left to use the funding.”
Institutional support contractors represent huge portions of the USAID workforce, with their proportions shifting depending on the particular team. While they function like regular staff, these contractors are employed by separate companies partnering with USAID, such as Credence Management Solutions. Yesterday, hundreds of contractors at USAID’s global health bureau were furloughed — and today, the target became BHA.
About the author
Elissa Miolene
Elissa Miolene reports on USAID and the U.S. government at Devex. She previously covered education at The San Jose Mercury News, and has written for outlets like The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washingtonian magazine, among others. Before shifting to journalism, Elissa led communications for humanitarian agencies in the United States, East Africa, and South Asia.
