Missing U.S. Search and Rescue in Myanmar Earthquake Relief

APRIL 06,2025

As nations rush aid to quake-hit Myanmar, the U.S.—once a global leader in humanitarian response—is barely present. Here’s what happened.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Myanmar’s deadly 7.7-magnitude earthquake has killed over 3,000 people. Images of Chinese team’s rescue, Russian medics setting up field hospitals, and Vietnamese crews arriving in uniform have dominated global headlines. But the world is asking: Where is the United States?

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, rescuers move a survivor out from a collapsed building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, Monday, March 31, 2025. (Cai Yang/Xinhua via AP)

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Missing U.S. Search and Rescue- Global Earthquake Response Highlights

While more than 15 countries have sent hundreds of aid workers and millions in assistance, the U.S. has only deployed a small three-person assessment team, arriving days late and without life-saving equipment or rescue personnel.

This minimal presence is a major departure from historic U.S. disaster response efforts, which typically mobilize within 24 hours with elite urban rescue teams, logistics, and funding.

U.S. Aid Absence Stems from USAID Shutdown and Policy Shift

The lack of American response ties directly to the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) by the Trump administration. Once a cornerstone of humanitarian outreach, USAID now faces frozen funds, mass layoffs, and thousands of canceled contracts.

“We all worried what would be the human impact,” said Lia Lindsey, Senior Humanitarian Policy Adviser at Oxfam. “Now we’re seeing it in real time—increased suffering and preventable deaths.”

Before these changes, the U.S. would have deployed elite urban search and rescue teams from California and Virginia, capable of operating independently with dog units, food, water, and medical support. Today, those teams remain grounded due to terminated transportation contracts.

Humanitarian Groups Struggle Amid Lack of American Rescue Efforts

The $9 million in aid pledged so far barely scratches the surface of what’s needed. Aid officials note the U.S. typically delivers $10 to $20 million in the early days of a disaster response. On top of that, over $2 billion in back payments to aid groups remain frozen, forcing nonprofits to tap into their own emergency reserves to survive.

“We’re covering costs the U.S. government already owes us,” said Lindsey. “It limits how much we can help in new crises like this one.”

Some smaller organizations have shut down entirely. Others have laid off staff or scaled back operations—even before the Myanmar disaster hit.

Michael Dunford, World Food Programme Country Director in Myanmar, hands aid boxes to earthquake survivors at Ottara Thiri Hospital in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Diego Fernandez/

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Myanmar Earthquake Response Shows Global Reliance on Other Nations

China, which shares a border with Myanmar, has quickly taken the spotlight. Its teams began pulling survivors out within 48 hours. As of Wednesday, they’d saved nine people—including a pregnant woman and a man trapped for 125 hours. Vietnam, India, Russia, and the UAE have also sent hundreds of workers and millions in funding.

“It hurt my heart to see a Chinese team being praised for saving lives, where a USAID team should’ve been,” said Senator Chris Coons.

The missing U.S. search and rescue response leaves a gap not just in logistics—but in global leadership.

RELATED STORY: Myanmar Thailand Earthquake 2025: Causes and Damage

Missing U.S. Search and Rescue Disaster Response Sparks Domestic and Global Concern

Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed claims of diminished U.S. influence, stating, “Other rich countries should do their part.” He also accused aid organizations of profiting off past U.S. aid efforts.

However, lawmakers from both parties are pushing for a stronger response. Senate Democrats have urged Rubio to scale up disaster relief to Myanmar—fast. Meanwhile, the administration insists that it’s balancing priorities and rethinking aid through a “strategic” lens.

A Moment of Reckoning for U.S. Humanitarian Leadership

“We have a long history in Burma,” said Sarah Charles, former head of humanitarian efforts at USAID under the Biden administration. “This isn’t just a shift in policy—it’s a loss of identity.”

The missing U.S. search and rescue presence in Myanmar’s quake response has become a symbol of a broader retreat from America’s once-proud role as the first responder to global disasters. And with lives on the line, the world is noticing. NOWTREND

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