Associated Press reporter Kristen Gelineau investigated the consequences of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s dissolution on aid workers who lost their jobs as a result. Following President Donald Trump’s assertion that USAID represented wasteful spending, the agency was dissolved, resulting in approximately 280,000 job losses globally. While extensive coverage has documented the impact on vulnerable populations previously served by the agency, limited reporting has focused on the workers themselves, particularly the roughly 90% employed overseas in challenging environments with limited alternative employment opportunities.
During her coverage of the USAID cuts across Asia, Gelineau learned from an HIV researcher in Nepal about aid workers, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals, who had been forced into sex work following job loss. Further investigation revealed this was a widespread pattern affecting numerous workers across the country. Health officials expressed concern that the situation could contribute to increased HIV transmission rates. Gelineau viewed this development as illustrative of how the funding cuts damaged not only the populations previously assisted by USAID, but also the humanitarian workers themselves.
Building relationships with vulnerable interview subjects required months of effort. The reporting process involved establishing credibility within Nepal’s LGBTQ+ community, initially communicating through text before conducting in-person interviews. Gelineau worked alongside photographer Bram Janssen and translator Tulsi Rauniyar in Kathmandu and Hetauda. Given that many subjects had experienced sexual violence, the team prioritized informed consent protocols, allowing participants to take breaks, decline questions, or discontinue interviews at any time.
To understand the workers’ circumstances fully, the reporting team shadowed several individuals during their nighttime work along a highway. Gelineau observed that despite significant dangers—including violence from clients and police—workers earned only approximately two to three dollars per client. The workers explained they had no realistic alternatives, as legal employment for openly transgender people in Nepal remains largely unavailable. The State Department responded to criticism by stating the Trump administration had restructured assistance programs to emphasize efficiency and effectiveness, while noting the U.S. maintains higher health and humanitarian spending than other nations.
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