“There are many other rich countries in the world, and they should all pitch.
“We do our part. There are people already. There are more people there. We’ll help you as much as we can. [but] It’s not the easiest place to work… They have a junta that doesn’t like us,” Rubio said.
On Tuesday, a former USAID official told the BBC the closure of an agency led by billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk, meaning the White House failed to send a team from the US to save lives shortly after the magnitude 7.7 earthquake on March 28th.
The Myanmar ruling forces said the confirmed death toll rose to 3,354 on April 4. The number of injuries was 4,508, with 220 still missing.
In a routine situation like this, the US can deploy up to 200 rescuers and sniffer dogs along with specialized equipment, often the largest and best equipment foreign response team on the ground.
Last week, the State Department said a US team of three advisers based in the area was being sent to the disaster zone.
Speaking to reporters at a NATO meeting in Brussels, Rubio denounced Myanmar’s junta despite the State Department saying the country had made a formal request for assistance earlier this week.
Former USAID officials say their work is considered apolitical and they have previously accessed countries that have been considered politically hostile.
“It would have hindered our reaction no matter what,” Rubio said.
“That being said, we will continue to help the humanitarian crisis. Other countries need to do that too. China is a very rich country. India is a rich country. There are many other countries in the world, and everyone should be on the pitch.”
China and India were among the first to put their teams on Myanmar’s ground, according to former American humanitarian officials.
Rubio has rejected the explanation of humanitarian experts who said the inability to deploy a large US rescue team was due to a reduction in USAID.
“These are people who make millions of dollars with these NGOs. [non-governmental organisations] Stand up, they’re overflowing with US taxpayer money, we have to spend ten [or] $100 million to win $100 million to people. We’re not doing that anymore. Understood? I’ve stopped. You’re no longer spending $10 million and earning $10 million for your recipients.
“We are not planning to fund these global NGOs around the world that are living on the way, and we are not doing that.
“We are ready to help and cooperate with governments and the right NGOs on the ground that are providing support. We are there and we are helping. [but] There are many other rich countries. They also have to pitch and help… we do our part,” Rubio added.
The White House reportedly attempted to deploy a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) from the United States as news of the Myanmar earthquake emerged, but the Trump administration’s cuts were unable to do so as former officials said the Trump administration’s cuts canceled logistics contracts and fired officials who oversaw such developments.
The cuts to USAID are led by Musk’s so-called Office of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after President Trump targeted foreign aid on his first day in office, and often referred to as “industry” that “does not follow American values.”
