Rubio rejects criticism of us the answer to the Myanmar earthquake

“There are many other rich countries in the world, they should all participate.

“We are going to do our part. We already have people there. We will have more people there. We will help as much as we can (but) it is not the easiest place to work … They have a military junta who does not like us,” said Rubio.

On Tuesday, a former USAID official told the BBC that the agency’s triggering, led by billionaire Trump Elon Musk, said the White House could not send teams from the United States to save lives in the aftermath of the Magnitude Turning Trembling 7.7 of March 28.

The number of confirmed deaths increased to 3,354 on April 4, the army in power of Myanmar said. The number of wounded amounted to 4,508, while 220 still lacked.

Rardishly in such earthquakes, the United States can deploy up to 200 rescuers and sniff dogs as well as specialized equipment, and is often the largest foreign response team and the best equipment on the ground.

Last week, the State Department said that an American team of three advisers based in the region was sent to the disaster area.

Addressing journalists at a NATO meeting in Brussels, Rubio blamed the military regime in Myanmar for lack of access, even if the State Department said earlier this week that the country had applied for official assistance.

The former USAID officials say that their work is considered non -political and that they have already reached the countries considered to be politically hostile.

“It would have hampered our answer, whatever happens,” said Rubio.

“That said, we are ready to continue to help in the humanitarian crisis. Other countries must also do so. China is a very rich country. India is a rich country. There are many other countries in the world, and everyone should intervene.”

China and India were among the first to have team teams in Myanmar, according to former US humanitarian officials.

Rubio rejected the accounts of humanitarian aid experts who declared that the inability to deploy a large American rescue team was due to the USAID Cups.

“These are people who make millions and hundreds of millions of dollars in these NGOs (non -governmental organizations) from around the world that rise and are flooded with American taxpayers’ money, and then we have to spend 10 (or) $ 100 million to obtain 10 million for people. We don’t do that. Okay?

“We are not going to finance these world NGOs around the world who live from this. We don’t do it.

“We are ready to help and work with the governments and appropriate NGOs on the field that provide help. We will be there, and we will be useful (but) there are many other rich countries, they should also participate and help … We are going to do our part,” added Rubio.

While the news of the Myanmar earthquake appeared, the White House would have tried to deploy a team of response to the assistance of the United States (DART) – but could not do so because the Trump administration cuts had canceled the logistics and licensed contracts of officials who supervised such deployments, according to former officials.

The USAID Cups had been led by the so-called Musk government (DOGE) Department of Government (DOGE) after President Trump targeted foreign aid during his first day in power, calling it an “industry” which was in many cases “antithetic to American values”.