[By Guancha Observer Network, Chen Sijia] On March 28, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurred in Myanmar, causing at least 3471 deaths and more than 4000 injuries. As rescue teams from China, Russia, India and other countries successively rushed to Myanmar, the US government only sent a team of three USAID staff members to Myanmar to assist with relief efforts and assess needs.

However, Trump's government's downsizing plan for the international development agency also affected these three rescue personnel. According to a Reuters report on April 5, former senior USAID official Marcia Wong recently revealed that the three USAID employees received their layoff notices from the Trump administration just after arriving in Myanmar. The US State Department has not yet commented on this news.

Wong told Reuters that she has been in contact with the remaining USAID staff members and learned after an all-staff meeting on the local time of the 4th that the three staff members sent to Myanmar had been laid off. "This team worked very hard, focusing on providing humanitarian aid to those in need. How could they not feel disheartened upon hearing that they were being laid off?"

She revealed that the three staff members are still working in the earthquake-stricken areas of Myanmar, and the layoff notice will take effect in a few months.

The US State Department has not yet responded to Reuters' request for comment. An American news website, Splinter, reported that the US State Department spokesperson did not clearly state whether the three had been fired. In an email, the spokesperson said that overseas staff would receive funds from USAID to return home, and "the departure date will be considered as the end of the employee's term."

On March 28, Myanmar suffered a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9. Video screenshot.

A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28. The latest statistics show that the earthquake has caused at least 3471 deaths and over 4000 injuries. After the earthquake, many countries such as China, Russia, and India have sent rescue teams to provide assistance to Myanmar. However, the US government only sent a team of three USAID staff members to assess the disaster area's needs.

The US initially promised to provide $2 million in aid to Myanmar, and on April 4, the US State Department announced that it would increase the aid by $7 million. Current and former USAID officials familiar with the situation told Splinter that at least part of the funds come from previously canceled USAID contracts, and the US government is reactivating these contracts to allow partners to participate in earthquake relief work.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has stockpiled various supplies globally for disaster response, including food, tents, and water purification equipment. However, a former USAID official pointed out that after President Trump initiated the downsizing plan, many transportation and warehousing contracts of USAID were canceled, so the agency was unsure which supplies could now be transported and used.

The former official stated that President Trump's downsizing plan has already "destroyed" USAID, and the US government may not be able to ensure that millions of dollars in aid for Myanmar are properly used. "This is not a problem of USAID but should be attributed to the 'Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).'"

Sarah Charles, former Assistant Administrator for Humanitarian Affairs at USAID, also pointed out that usually, the US would send 20 to 25 professional rescue personnel to the disaster area within 24 hours after a disaster. If rescue teams were mobilized from California and Virginia, the number could increase to 200.

Charles told NBC that due to Trump's administration canceling transportation contracts, the US now lacks a method for quickly mobilizing rescue teams.

On January 20, Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office, requiring all foreign aid from the US to be suspended for 90 days to assess the effectiveness of projects and whether they align with the current administration's foreign policy, resulting in thousands of aid projects being suspended. Due to the suspension of numerous foreign aid projects, approximately 60 USAID staff members were required to take paid administrative leave on January 27.

On February 21, former employees and supporters held a protest near the USAID building. Visual China.

On February 3rd local time, US Secretary of State Rubio announced that he had become the acting administrator of USAID. The same day, the US Department of State stated in a statement that Rubio also informed Congress that he was reviewing USAID's foreign aid activities. The statement said that the review would "consider possible restructuring" to ensure its alignment with the "America First agenda."

Rubio insisted in an interview with the media on March 28 that the downsizing plan for USAID did not affect the US aid to Myanmar's earthquake, "We are not the world government. Like everyone else, we will provide humanitarian aid and do our best. But we have other needs, and we must balance between them."

Rubio said, "We are the richest country in the world, but our resources are not infinite. We have huge national debt, and we have many other priorities. Now is the time to readjust everything. So we will be there, and we will do our best to help, but we also have other things to deal with."

It remains unclear how many USAID personnel have been laid off. Data from the civilian advocacy organization "Stand Up for Aid" shows that as of March 21, USAID had 869 American direct-hire staff members on active duty and another 3848 on paid administrative leave. Informants revealed that among those laid off were thousands of diplomatic service officers dispatched globally by the agency.

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reproduced without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7490100252852011554/

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