Exclusive: US State Department proposes humanitarian overhaul
Just months after dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development and absorbing its stripped-down humanitarian functions into the State Department, the Trump administration is planning a major reorganization for the department’s international disaster response system.
A proposed organizational chart obtained by Devex calls for the creation of a new Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response, or DHR, that would separate international relief from the State Department’s more politically charged programs related to international migration — which currently sits within the existing Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, or PRM.
“This Bureau will serve as the Department’s single, accountable voice for global disaster and humanitarian response, ensuring coherent leadership, streamlined decision-making, and consistent engagement with Congress, other departments and agencies, and international actors,” reads a congressional notification describing the proposal, which was sent to Capitol Hill on Wednesday night, and obtained by Devex soon after.
About the authors
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
Elissa Miolene
Elissa Miolene covers U.S. foreign assistance from Washington, D.C. She previously covered education at The San Jose Mercury News, and has written for The Wall Street Journal, the San Francisco Chronicle, and other news outlets across the world. Before shifting to journalism, Elissa led communications for aid agencies in the United States, East Africa, and South Asia.
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