Disaster Response

Hamilton was fired as acting administrator last year after he opposed plans to abolish the agency at a House hearingDonald Trump has once again nominated Cameron Hamilton to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) after Hamilton was previously fired for publicly opposing plans to abolish the agency.Hamilton was dismissed last year from his role as acting administrator of the disaster relief agency after testifying before a House appropriations subcommittee. During the hearing, he said: “I do not believe it is in the best interests of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency.” Continue reading...

Markwayne Mullin visits Asheville to survey Hurricane Helene recovery in first big trip since Kristi Noem’s ousterMarkwayne Mullin, the US homeland security secretary, used a visit to Asheville, North Carolina to call for a fundamental shift in the role of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), arguing that states and local governments – not the federal agency – should lead disaster response.“We shouldn’t look at Fema as being a first responder, but look at Fema as supporting the first responders you already have,” Mullin told reporters at a roundtable discussion. Continue reading...

• The State Department announced a new Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response with 12 regional hubs to coordinate emergency aid, replacing functions of the dismantled USAID. • Hubs will be located in Miami, Bogota, Guatemala City, Santo Domingo, Kyiv, Amman, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Dakar, Bangkok, Dhaka, and Manila, with 200 staffers based in Washington. • The move follows Trump administration cuts to foreign aid, especially climate and social justice programs, amid criticism from aid organizations, though a $2 billion UN contribution was made last year.