US News Metro Long Island Politics

Sports NFL MLB Olympics NBA NHL College Football College Basketball WNBA

Entertainment TV Movies Music Celebrities Awards Theater

Lifestyle Weird But True Sex & Relationships Viral Trends Human Interest Parenting Fashion & Beauty Food & Drink Travel

Health Wellness Fitness Health Care Medicine Men’s Health Women’s Health Mental Health Nutrition

Science Space Environment Wildlife Archaeology

Today’s Paper Covers Columnists Horoscopes Crosswords & Games Sports Odds Podcasts Careers

Email Newsletters Official Store Home Delivery Tips

Switch between CA and NY editions here.

Reponse to Venezuela’s crisis proves that America can still help in substantial ways — even without USAID

See more of our coverage in your search results.

Critics of President Trump insist that his administration has bungled its response to the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. They blame his dismantling of the US Agency for International Development. But those critics are wrong.  

USAID led America’s humanitarian disaster response for years. But after the Biden administration turned agency irreparably woke, Trump handed most of those responsibilities to the State Department. The reaction was predictably strident. “The evisceration of USAID,” said one critic, “…will hamper the capacity of international relief agencies.” Another claimed that the nation had “lost the capability to deploy search and rescue.” 

As the former head of USAID and the federal lead for global disaster response, I oversaw aid for earthquakes, hurricanes, Ebola outbreaks, the Beirut port explosion and massive war-related migrations. I know what competent emergency response looks like. It looks like what the United States is doing in Venezuela. 

The essential elements for successful emergency responses remain intact: first responders, known as Disaster Assistance Response Teams DARTs, regional support hubs, nearby warehousing storing large-scale food and nonfood aid, search-and-rescue tools, and most importantly, a hand-in-glove relationship with the........

© New York Post