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U.S. pledges up to $2 million for Burma earthquake relief
Summary
A U.S. government statement says the United States will provide up to $2,000,000 through Burma-based humanitarian organizations to support communities affected by a March earthquake; a USAID assessment team is traveling to the country to identify immediate needs.
A staff member said the United States will provide up to $2,000,000 through Burma-based humanitarian assistance organizations to support communities affected by an earthquake in March.
The funds are being offered as an immediate response while a team from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) travels to Burma to identify urgent needs, the statement said. The assessment will focus on emergency shelter, food, medical care and access to water.
The staff member said disaster experts based in Bangkok, Manila and Washington, D.C., are monitoring the situation and coordinating with U.S. government counterparts in the region. The statement expressed condolences for the loss of life and said the United States stands with the people of Burma as they recover.
The announcement said funds will flow through Burma-based humanitarian organizations, but the statement did not specify which organizations will receive the money or the timetable for disbursement. Additional logistical details, including how quickly aid will arrive and which organizations will carry out distributions, were not specified.
USAID is identified by its acronym in the statement; the agency frequently deploys assessment teams after natural disasters to determine the most urgent needs before delivering assistance. The statement emphasized coordination among regional U.S. disaster experts and other government counterparts but did not list other specific U.S. agencies involved.
Further updates on the assessment findings, the organizations chosen to receive funding and the timeline for aid delivery were not provided in the statement.
