The State Department said that cuts to USAID have had no impact on the U.S. ability to assist with disaster response.
The Burmese military junta said that as of March 29, the death toll of the Friday earthquake had risen to over 1,600.
Burma (also known as Myanmar) was hit by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on Friday, causing widespread destruction, particularly in Mandalay city, where numerous buildings collapsed.
The Burmese military junta said that as of March 29, the death toll had risen to 1,002, with 2,376 others injured. Some 30 people are feared missing and trapped under the rubble.
The junta warned that the numbers could further increase as search and rescue operations continue. Burmese junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing has since invited “any country or organization” to provide assistance, according to local media.
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said that his administration has spoken to the officials in Burma following the devastating earthquake.
“We’re going to be helping. We’ve already alerted the people,” Trump said. “It’s terrible what happened. We’ve already spoken with the country.”
Trump’s remarks came as a federal appeals court on Friday allowed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to continue to lead its downsizing efforts at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)—the agency responsible for administering U.S. foreign aid—after pausing a previous lower court’s injunction.
The administration’s cuts to USAID have already forced the United Nations and non-governmental organizations to cut many programs in Burma.
However, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters on Friday that the cuts to USAID have had no impact on the U.S. ability to assist with disaster response.
“USAID has maintained a team of disaster experts with the capacity to respond if disaster strikes,” she said. “These expert teams provide immediate assistance, including food and safe drinking water, needed to save lives in the aftermath of a disaster.”
Bruce said that the administration would use requests for assistance and reports from the region to shape its response to the quake.
