Johns Hopkins University, located in Baltimore, Maryland, has announced the layoff of more than 2,000 employees due to significant reductions in foreign aid funding under the Trump administration. This decision follows the termination of over $800 million in funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a key source of support for various global health and humanitarian programs.
“This is a difficult day for our entire community. The loss of over $800 million in USAID funding is forcing us to scale down essential work both here in Baltimore and globally,” the university stated in an official release.
The layoffs will affect 1,975 employees working on projects in 44 countries, as well as 247 positions in the United States. These cuts are expected to severely impact important university programs, including the Bloomberg School of Public Health, the School of Medicine, and Jhpiego, a global health non-profit founded by the university over 50 years ago. Jhpiego focuses on improving health in developing countries, especially in maternal and infant care, disease prevention, and providing clean drinking water.
“Johns Hopkins is extremely proud of the work done by our colleagues in Jhpiego, the Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the School of Medicine to improve maternal and infant health, fight disease, provide clean water, and advance other life-saving efforts worldwide,” the statement continued.
This move makes Johns Hopkins one of the universities most affected by the Trump administration’s foreign aid cuts, which critics argue will have severe consequences for vulnerable populations around the world. The university, which receives roughly $1 billion annually from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is currently running 600 clinical trials and is a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit challenging the reduction in federal research funding.
The cuts follow President Donald Trump’s January executive order, which froze all U.S. foreign aid to review overseas spending. USAID operates health and emergency programs in about 120 countries worldwide. The reduction in funding is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to scale back foreign aid, a policy that critics believe will negatively impact millions globally.