EXCLUSIVE: State Department slams PBS News report as “deliberate leak narrative"

A recent viral report that “the 3-person disaster assessment team sent to Myanmar [in the wake of an earthquake] for the U.S. received termination notices while staying/sleeping outside” is fake news, a State Department spokesperson exclusively told the Washington Reporter.

“No one was fired,” a senior State Department official told the Reporter.

The claim, by PBS News’s Lisa Desjardins, has gone viral — but the reality, according to a senior State Department official, is that “our team leads on the ground in Burma have reported back that the response is going well and they are able to execute their assignment.”

“Per the notice sent out last week,” the official continued. “All USAID personnel were either given a 1-July or 2-September termination date.”

“There have been no changes to that plan. Any assertion otherwise was likely based on a deliberate leak by someone trying to spread a fake narrative for their own political agenda.”

Another senior State Department official continued, responding to the specifics of the PBS report, that “USAID does not comment on the employment status of specific employees or contractors.”

“The USAID team responding to the earthquake in Burma spent one night outdoors and is now housed at an indoor facility. Our disaster teams are prepared for these situations which are not unusual in disaster zones,” the official said.

“All overseas United States Personal Service

Contractors personnel who received separation notices will receive a USAID-funded return or Permanent Change of Stations (PCS),” the official added, directly rejecting the PBS report.

“Affected personnel have a final separation date of either July 1, 2025 or September 2, 2025, both of which provide significantly longer notice than required notice periods. and USAID consistent with regulatory and other requirements.”

The earthquake that struck Burma has reportedly killed hundreds of people — and the State Department has been on the scene providing millions of dollars, the official said.

“In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, we announced an initial $2 million to be distributed through humanitarian partners in Burma,” the official said. “On April 4, the United States announced we are making available an additional $7 million to further support the people of Burma. This money is going towards emergency shelter, food, medical support, and water.”

In another instance of how the Trump administration’s America First policy has not meant America alone, the spokesperson noted that “the United States remains in communication with partners, including the Quad countries of Australia, India, and Japan, to coordinate response efforts.

“We are pleased to support ASEAN leadership and the international community in providing assistance to the people of Burma. The scale of this emergency will take all of us,” the spokesperson said.

America assistance to Burma in the wake of natural disasters dates back to at least 2004, when a tsunami devastated the country. It continued as recently as last year during Typhoon Yagi.

In the aftermath of this earthquake, the millions of dollars America is spending are helping to feed 15,000 earthquake-affected people, the official said, adding that “additional food distributions have also begun in the worst affected areas in Mandalay, where almost every resident lost their home due to the earthquake and a subsequent fire.”

“World Food Program is providing support to reach 480 households — about 2,400 people,” the official said.

In addition to partnering with allied countries, the State Department is also working with “the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, [and has] distributed emergency supplies to help 25,000 people in need,” per the official.

“These include blankets, mosquito nets, sleeping mats, plastic tarpaulins, and kitchen sets,” the official said.