In response to the catastrophic earthquake that struck Southeast Asia, causing extensive fatalities and destruction, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would offer aid in managing the aftermath. However, the administration’s extensive reductions in the budget for foreign aid through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department could present challenges in dealing with this sizeable natural disaster, occurring during Trump’s second term.
Sarah Charles, previously in a senior disaster-response role at USAID during the Biden era, commented that the current system is in disarray, without the necessary workforce or funding to execute crucial tasks like rescuing individuals from debris effectively. The devastating earthquake, which rattled Myanmar and Thailand, caused at least 150 deaths and left many trapped beneath collapsed structures.
When queried by journalists in Washington about the disaster, Trump assured, “We’re going to be helping. We’ve already alerted the people. Yeah, it’s terrible what happened.” Meanwhile, Tammy Bruce, a spokesperson from the State Department, emphasized that their response would be based on requests for aid and information coming from the impacted area.
“USAID has maintained a team of disaster experts with the capacity to respond if disaster strikes,” Bruce noted. “These expert teams provide immediate assistance, including food and safe drinking water, needed to save lives in the aftermath of a disaster.” She added that despite financial cuts, the agency’s ability to carry out its responsibilities remains unchanged.
In simultaneous developments, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jeremy Lewin—a prior associate of Elon Musk and now a senior figure within USAID—announced to staff and Congress the termination of most of the retained USAID workforce and the transfer of surviving programs to the State Department.
Since assuming office on January 20, Trump’s administration, in cooperation with Musk’s teams, has notably reduced foreign aid efforts, leading to a massive shake-up within global aid and development sectors. As a result, U.S. partners are frantically attempting to fill the void left by USAID, hindered by incomplete payments for previous projects.
Following an earthquake in 2023 that affected Turkey and Syria, USAID-backed civilian units from Los Angeles County and Fairfax County, Virginia—trained in urban search and rescue—were quickly dispatched to aid in survivor recovery efforts. Typically, these teams mobilize within a 24-hour window, Charles stated.
Though legislative and individual interventions protected the civilian search-and-rescue team contracts, related contracts essential for transporting these teams and their equipment to disaster sites have reportedly faced cuts, Charles pointed out.
Additionally, manpower reductions at USAID have significantly weakened teams responsible for liaising with international partners to organize rescue and recovery operations. Further foreign aid contract cutbacks have adversely affected emergency response services provided by entities like the United Nations.