Thousands of USAID employees, except for essential personnel, were notified they will be placed on administrative leave at the end of Friday.

USAID is the primary government agency responsible for organizing the distribution of funds to help countries worldwide “recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms,” according to its website .

In a brief note posted on the international development agency's website, almost all employees were told they would be put on leave. The note ended with the words, "Thank you for your service."