The U.S. State Department has handed over international disaster response duties to its refugee-focused bureau, sidelining USAID’s seasoned crisis teams.
The State Department office responsible for refugee affairs and reducing illegal migration will now lead the U.S. response to international disasters, according to excerpts from an internal cable reviewed by Reuters—a move that experts warn could prove problematic due to the office's limited experience and staffing.
The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) is taking over this role from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which has traditionally managed foreign disaster response. This shift is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to reduce the size of the federal government—an initiative that has been significantly driven by billionaire Elon Musk, according to the document.
USAID's dismantling has already had consequences. Experts cite the administration’s delayed and insufficient response to the powerful March 25 earthquake in Myanmar as an example.
The details are contained in an ALDAC cable—short for “All Diplomatic and Consular Posts”—distributed to U.S. embassies and diplomatic missions worldwide. Reuters was unable to determine the exact date the cable was issued.
Under the new directive, all U.S. diplomatic posts are instructed to coordinate with PRM regarding declarations of foreign disasters.
“With approval from PRM, based on established international disaster assistance criteria, up to $100,000 may be disbursed to support the initial response,” the cable states. “Further funding may be made available depending on humanitarian needs, in coordination with other State Department offices.”
The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A source familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the authenticity of the cable excerpts.
According to the source, only 20 of the approximately 525 disaster response experts previously employed by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and its Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Relief will be transferred to PRM—an amount the source described as wholly insufficient. Furthermore, the source noted that PRM’s leadership lacks the knowledge necessary to manage large-scale disaster operations.
“They simply don’t understand disaster response,” the source said.
“It’s absurd,” commented Jeremy Konyndyk, former director of the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Relief and current president of Refugees International. “PRM plays a vital role, but operational disaster response is not part of their mandate.”
Historically, the U.S. has been able to rapidly deploy elite response teams to crises such as tsunamis and earthquakes. However, with PRM now in charge, that capability is in jeopardy.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has dismissed criticism of the U.S. response to the Myanmar earthquake, citing the challenging conditions posed by the country’s military junta and asserting that the U.S. continues to be the largest contributor of international aid.
Konyndyk, however, expressed concern that as the Caribbean hurricane season approaches, the U.S. will no longer be able to field its world-renowned Disaster Assistance Response Teams.
“PRM can’t replicate the systems and logistics that make DARTs effective,” he said. “They’re essentially trying to build a Potemkin version of DART.”
The restructuring of USAID under the Trump administration has resulted in the dismissal of thousands of contractors, the administrative leave of most of the agency’s 10,000 staff—many facing permanent termination—and the cancellation of billions of dollars’ worth of life-saving programs serving tens of millions worldwide.
One excerpt of the cable mentions that in future overseas disaster scenarios, PRM may call upon what remains of USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance to help deliver an effective and timely response.
Russia has voiced serious concern over the U.S. Golden Dome defense initiative, a $175 billion project aimed at countering threats from China and Russia.
A 24-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela has been taken into custody after trying to enroll himself as a 16-year-old at a high school in Ohio, according to local authorities.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned of “significant consequences” if Europe pushes for reimposing UN nuclear sanctions, stressing it would end E3 participation in the 2015 deal, following an unproductive meeting in Istanbul.
French President Emmanuel Macron is embarking on a strategic visit to Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore, aiming to present France and the European Union as dependable partners offering transparent cooperation.
Singapore’s Foreign Ministry has issued a firm rebuke to foreign embassies in the city-state, stating that it “rejects attempts by foreign embassies to incite domestic reactions to international issues involving third countries.”
Russia has voiced serious concern over the U.S. Golden Dome defense initiative, a $175 billion project aimed at countering threats from China and Russia.
A 24-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela has been taken into custody after trying to enroll himself as a 16-year-old at a high school in Ohio, according to local authorities.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned of “significant consequences” if Europe pushes for reimposing UN nuclear sanctions, stressing it would end E3 participation in the 2015 deal, following an unproductive meeting in Istanbul.
French President Emmanuel Macron is embarking on a strategic visit to Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore, aiming to present France and the European Union as dependable partners offering transparent cooperation.
Singapore’s Foreign Ministry has issued a firm rebuke to foreign embassies in the city-state, stating that it “rejects attempts by foreign embassies to incite domestic reactions to international issues involving third countries.”
Tensions flare in the India-France Rafale deal as France refuses to share the fighter jet’s source code, limiting India’s ability to integrate indigenous weapons and reducing its combat autonomy.
France has rejected India’s request to share source codes needed to integrate indigenous weapons into Rafale fighter jets. Despite repeated appeals, French manufacturer Dassault Aviation has refused to compromise on the issue
AnewZ and Kazakhstan’s Jibek Joly/Silk Way TV channel co-hosted a special AnewZ Talks in Astana at Maqsut Narikbayev University (MNU), uniting global experts and young leaders at Silk Road Media Group’s journalism school to explore the growing intersection of media and diplomacy.
The Tehran Dialogue Forum 2025, scheduled for May 18–19, will host 200 international guests, including 40 current and former European officials.
Anton Kobyakov, adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, claimed at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum that the USSR’s dissolution was legally invalid and that the Soviet Union still exists under constitutional law, framing the Ukraine war as an “internal process.”
China has restated its steadfast support for Pakistan during high-level talks in Beijing, even as it calls for peaceful resolution of conflicts and enhanced regional cooperation in South Asia, where tensions have been on the rise.
Russia has voiced serious concern over the U.S. Golden Dome defense initiative, a $175 billion project aimed at countering threats from China and Russia.
A 24-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela has been taken into custody after trying to enroll himself as a 16-year-old at a high school in Ohio, according to local authorities.
French President Emmanuel Macron is embarking on a strategic visit to Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore, aiming to present France and the European Union as dependable partners offering transparent cooperation.
Singapore’s Foreign Ministry has issued a firm rebuke to foreign embassies in the city-state, stating that it “rejects attempts by foreign embassies to incite domestic reactions to international issues involving third countries.”
Russia has voiced serious concern over the U.S. Golden Dome defense initiative, a $175 billion project aimed at countering threats from China and Russia.
A 24-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela has been taken into custody after trying to enroll himself as a 16-year-old at a high school in Ohio, according to local authorities.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned of “significant consequences” if Europe pushes for reimposing UN nuclear sanctions, stressing it would end E3 participation in the 2015 deal, following an unproductive meeting in Istanbul.
French President Emmanuel Macron is embarking on a strategic visit to Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore, aiming to present France and the European Union as dependable partners offering transparent cooperation.
Singapore’s Foreign Ministry has issued a firm rebuke to foreign embassies in the city-state, stating that it “rejects attempts by foreign embassies to incite domestic reactions to international issues involving third countries.”
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment