Flags other than the US Organization for International Development (USAID) headquarters will be seen in Washington, DC on February 3, 2025.
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The former senior official was fired when three U.S. aid workers in Myanmar were fired because the Trump administration’s dismantling of foreign aid would affect disaster response, the former senior official said.
After traveling to Southeast Asian countries, the three officials were told they would be let go late this week, Marcia Wong, a former employee of the U.S. International Development Agency, told Reuters.
“This team is working incredibly hard and focuses on getting humanitarian assistance to those in need. Why doesn’t it lose morale to get news of your imminent layoffs?” said Wong, former assistant manager of the USAID department to oversee Washington’s disease response efforts overseas.
President Donald Trump’s government has pledged at least $9 million to Myanmar after the magnitude 7.7 earthquake. However, his administration’s massive cuts to USAID have hindered the ability of China, Russia, India and other countries to respond while rushing to help.
The Trump administration has fired almost all of its USAID staff in recent weeks as billionaire Elon Musk’s government efficiency cuts funds significantly and rejects contractors among federal officials called attacks on wasteful spending.
The three USAID workers were sleeping on the streets of the earthquake zone, Wong added that their termination will take effect in a few months. Residents are sleeping outside for fear of aftershocks, and the buildings are also collapsing.
Wong said she was in contact with the rest of the USAID staff and heard about the end after the all staff meeting on Friday. Former USAID staff say that while third-party implementation partners lost their contracts, most of those who coordinated their responses were let go.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday rejected criticism that Washington was slow to respond to the March 28 earthquake.
Rather, he told reporters in Brussels that Myanmar is not “the easiest place to work,” and that the military government doesn’t like the United States and prevents it from operating in the country as it wishes.
The United Nations says the junta is restricting humanitarian assistance.
Rubio said the US is no longer a humanitarian donor around the world and calls on other wealthy countries to support Myanmar.
