The Myanmar Earthquake: A Clear View
As Myanmar suffers the effects of an earthquake they were not prepared for, it is likely that the lack of humanitarian aid provided by the United States could’ve caused many preventable deaths. However, the United States has done little to nothing to provide humanitarian aid for the ongoing disaster in Myanmar.
The Myanmar Earthquake: A Clear View
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck unprepared Myanmar on March 28th, causing significant damage across the entire country.
Total
At the time during which the earthquake first occurred, there was mass uncertainty all across Myanmar as the true numbers of deaths and injuries very quickly racked up. A week later, the total death count has surpassed 3,300, with another 4,500 people injured and 220 still missing.
The United States
As the United Nations rallied countries worldwide to aid Myanmar in its disaster, the UK, China, Russia, India, and many others pledged millions in humanitarian aid. However, the United States has done little to nothing to provide humanitarian aid for the ongoing disaster in Myanmar. This comes as the Trump administration fired the USAID workers who were actively working on-site in Myanmar to assess the gravity of damage, and were trying to determine how and where USAID could assist in the ongoing disaster. Marco Rubio, the current United States Secretary of State, has previously stated that the United States would continue to provide funding for humanitarian efforts and global crises. Nevertheless, this position seems to contradict recent developments, as USAID is on track to be fully dismantled. The newly established Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, is also responsible for the lack of United States involvement in Myanmar. This is part of his ongoing reductions to USAID and foreign aid as a whole within the U.S. government.
Salt On The Wound
While yes, many other countries have pledged to aid in the Myanmar disaster, another 20 million (which is an estimate of how much the United States would’ve provided given other circumstances) in immediate aid would’ve been invaluable to the people of Myanmar. During the ongoing crisis, temperatures are soaring to extreme highs, with those who are left homeless forced to camp out in conditions reaching 100°F. Additionally, Myanmar is experiencing continuous rain and storms as workers tirelessly search for the 220 people still missing. Myanmar will be recovering from this disaster for much longer than a few weeks, as disease begins to spread across the country and thousands are still left homeless. Usually, the United States would follow up its initial aid package with continued aid to speed up the recovery time of a disaster of this scale, but they haven’t.
Recap
As Myanmar suffers the effects of an earthquake they were not prepared for, it is likely that the lack of humanitarian aid provided by the United States could’ve caused many preventable deaths. As the Trump Administration continues to cut more and more workers and funding to vital programs such as USAID, we will see many more people suffer to simply save a few million dollars.