USAID response in Myanmar faces hurdles after staff cuts

1/4/2025 6:51

The U.S. State Department on Monday said that a U.S. Agency for International Development team was heading to Myanmar to help identify the country's most pressing needs in the wake of a devastating earthquake that killed at least 2,000 people.



But a former top USAID official and a source familiar with the matter said the three-member assessment team's departure was delayed by problems obtaining visas from Myanmar's military rulers.



Moreover, they said, the overall Trump administration response has been hobbled by the huge fund cuts, contractor terminations and plans to fire nearly all USAID staff directed by billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.



The response has been hurt by "a lot of internal confusion about capability to respond and willingness to respond,” said Sarah Charles, who headed the agency's humanitarian assistance bureau until February 2024.



Speaking at a daily briefing, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said U.S. disaster experts, including those based in Bangkok, Manila and Washington, were monitoring the situation, and that the assessment team was being sent.