DC area USAID contractors lay off hundreds

Two prominent humanitarian organizations, Save the Children and the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX), are laying off 246 staffers in DC due to severe cutbacks at USAID, as reported by the Washington Business Journal.

Save the Children announced it laid off 116 employees, while IREX terminated 130 positions. These layoffs reflect broader cutbacks initiated by President Trump's administration and the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, which has drastically reduced USAID’s budget and canceled numerous contracts.

In January, the Trump administration paused nearly all foreign aid and halted billions of dollars in payments for already completed projects. Although some funding was restored, approximately 83 percent of USAID contracts have been permanently terminated, placing humanitarian operations at risk.

Save the Children, which depends on USAID for 55 percent of its $975 million annual funding, stated these cuts will have "catastrophic consequences for the world's most vulnerable children." Similarly, IREX, funded 86 percent by USAID and federal agencies, faces significant disruptions to its global educational and professional development programs.

Other nonprofits in the Greater Washington area, including Chemonics International and DAI Global LLC, have also experienced substantial layoffs, underscoring the ripple effect of the federal cutbacks on local employment.

Both Save the Children and IREX have encouraged supporters to advocate for restored funding, warning of long-term negative impacts on humanitarian and development efforts worldwide.