Washington (Agencies): The Trump administration has terminated three USAID workers who were deployed to Myanmar to assess potential U.S. relief efforts following last month’s devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake. The disaster, which struck near Mandalay on March 28, has claimed over 3,300 lives, injured 4,850 people, and left 220 missing, making it the second deadliest earthquake in Myanmar’s history.
The USAID workers, who had only recently arrived in Myanmar, received their termination notices via email. The decision comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to restructure USAID, including significant job cuts, reduced aid funding, and transferring control of foreign aid to the State Department.
The firings have sparked outrage among colleagues and U.S. diplomats, who described the move as “especially cruel.” Critics argue that the decision contradicts earlier commitments by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to continue providing humanitarian aid despite the administration’s overhaul of USAID.
Myanmar had requested international assistance following the earthquake, with countries like Russia, China, Malaysia, and India sending aid teams. The U.S. response has been criticized as delayed, with aid workers arriving only this week before being dismissed.
The terminations have raised concerns about the future of U.S. disaster response efforts, as USAID employees brace for further layoffs and the agency’s integration into the State Department. The situation underscores the challenges of providing effective humanitarian aid amid significant policy shifts.