Feb 22, Kathmandu- The way has been cleared for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to lay off employees.

A court in the US has given permission to the administration of US President Donald Trump to lay off more than 2,000 USAID employees.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington dismissed a temporary restraining order issued at the start of the case, saying he was satisfied with the administration's claims that it would ensure the safety of employees on leave.

Nichols was appointed by President Donald Trump in his first term. This has further disappointed employee unions. "We are disappointed by today's decision and the loss USAID workers are experiencing is real. We are confident that the courts will legally reject the effort to end USAID,'' Democracy Forward President Skye Perryman said in a statement.

The lawsuit was filed earlier this month. Global poverty group Oxfam has also joined the lawsuit, but it has not yet responded.

On his first day in office, Trump ordered a 90-day freeze on all foreign aid. Accordingly, USAID employees are going to be dismissed.