Rep. Grace Meng Says U.S. Aid to Nepal Exceeds $36 Million Following Her Push
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng of New York. Official Capitol Hill photo by the U.S. House of Representatives, public domain.
NEW YORK — U.S. Rep. Grace Meng said Wednesday that the United States is providing more than $36 million in assistance for Nepal’s flood response and recovery after she pressed Trump administration officials over what she described as an initially slow and inadequate response to the disaster.
Meng, a Queens Democrat, said the initial U.S. response consisted of one adviser and $500,000 in assistance after devastating floods affected communities in Nepal and Tibet. She said administration officials acknowledged during an Appropriations Committee hearing that the response had been slow.
“After tragedy struck Nepal and Tibet, the U.S. sent just one adviser and $500,000. Trump administration officials admitted our response was ‘slow.’ After I pressed officials before the Appropriations Committee, $36 million in aid and rescue support is finally being delivered. It is still far short of what these communities need, but far more than the administration originally offered,” Meng said.
On Monday, Meng questioned administration officials about how the United States would support Nepal, which she described as a U.S. ally, following the disaster. She said dozens of Americans and thousands of Nepalis remained missing.
During the hearing, Meng noted that the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. has supported electricity and hydropower infrastructure in Nepal. She asked Conor Coleman, the agency’s head of investments, how many active projects the DFC has in Nepal and what work the agency was carrying out there.
Coleman expressed sympathy for people affected by the disaster in Nepal and Tibet and acknowledged that the U.S. government’s response had been slow.
“While our response as the U.S. government was slow, I’m very confident there is a lot of ground we can make up very, very quickly here,” Coleman said.
Coleman told Meng that she was “clearly the expert” on the region and said he would welcome a discussion with her office about projects she was hearing about and ways the DFC could use its private-sector relationships to support recovery.
Meng later criticized the comment in a social media post, saying officials apologized for the administration’s slow response before telling her that she was the “expert in those geographies.”
“Whatever that means, House Democrats will keep pressing this administration to do its job: help Americans abroad and stand with our allies,” Meng said. “I’ll continue standing with the Nepali community in Queens.”
The latest U.S. assistance includes $31 million in additional funding planned for Nepal’s flood recovery. The package includes $10 million for permanent, custom-built bridges, $8 million for water, sanitation and hygiene services, shelter, protection, livelihoods and winterization support, and $13 million for U.S.-made drones to support future disaster recovery efforts.
The additional funding brings total U.S. assistance for Nepal’s flood response and recovery to more than $36 million, according to the State Department.
In New York, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker met Tuesday with Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal and announced the additional assistance. Hooker expressed U.S. sympathies to those affected by the devastating floods, including the families of approximately 70 Americans who remain unaccounted for, according to the State Department.
The State Department said the United States plans to work with Congress to provide $10 million for permanent, custom-built bridges sourced from a U.S. company. The bridges are intended to restore critical transportation infrastructure in affected areas and strengthen regional connectivity.
Another $8 million in assistance is planned for water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as shelter, protection, livelihoods and winterization support for affected communities. The department also plans to provide $13 million in U.S.-made drones to support future disaster recovery efforts.
The United States said it would continue working with the Government of Nepal to identify and deliver additional assistance where it is most needed.