Let’s start by acknowledging the Trump administration’s drastic reduction of USAID’s foreign service personnel. In the past months, almost all of the staff have been laid off. The country is in the throes of recovery from an unprecedented earthquake that has shaken their capital to its core. This disaster has taken more than 3,300 lives in Myanmar already. The company made the firings known during an all-staff meeting on Friday. This ruling underscores the challenges of providing humanitarian assistance in a country where the military junta imposes draconian anti-humanitarian measures.
As Marcia Wong, a former USAID official, told us last week, staff were only notified that they’d be laid off later this week late last staff. The Department of Government Efficiency has led the charge in these terminations. Led by the czar of disruption himself, billionaire Elon Musk, it’s focused like a laser beam on flushing out wasteful spending hidden deep inside federal agencies. Critics argue that this move compromises the U.S. response to international crises, particularly in light of the recent earthquake on March 28.
As a result, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had to go out and defend their actions. He rejected claims that the Obama administration’s dismantling of USAID contributed to a delayed response to the earthquake catastrophe. He urged participants to believe that the Trump administration has committed at least $9 million worth of help. May this support strengthen recovery efforts in Myanmar, just as aid workers are committed to overcoming persistent chaos at home.
In breaking news, reports are surfacing that three American humanitarian workers were axed. They were just coming out of extraordinary rescue and recovery operations in Myanmar at that time. They’ve returned to sleeping outdoors in the active quake zone. They hold their breath until their official terminations in a few months arrive. Their precariousness highlights the immediate importance of efficient humanitarian aid. The military junta is compounding this growing crisis by severely limiting access to humanitarian assistance.
The U.S. is not alone in its undertakings. Countries such as China, Russia, and India have sent resources to assist Myanmar in this time of crisis. Access is still tricky given the military government’s antipathy to U.S. engagement and its overriding of international assistance.
The UN has called out the junta’s obstruction of humanitarian assistance, which has intensified what is already a catastrophic situation. The U.S. State Department has so far not responded to requests for comment on these new developments. Second, they have ignored the impact that USAID’s restructuring will have on ongoing relief efforts.
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