• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • News
    • COVID-19

    USAID ships COVID-19 supplies from Dubai to Oregon

    For the first time since Hurricane Katrina, USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance is deploying overseas emergency supplies inside the U.S.

    By Michael Igoe // 14 April 2020
    An Oregon Army National Guard soldier loads shipments of personal protective equipment to be distributed throughout Oregon. Photo by: Sgt. 1st Class Zachary Holden / Oregon Military Department / CC BY

    WASHINGTON — For the first time since Hurricane Katrina struck the southern U.S. in 2005, the U.S. Agency for International Development is deploying its overseas disaster relief supplies — generally intended for international crises — to support domestic response efforts.

    COVID-19 — a timeline of the coronavirus outbreak

    Follow the latest developments on the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

    On Friday, the Oregon Office of Emergency Management reported that it received 78 pallets of personal protective equipment to aid in the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The equipment, which includes an estimated 150,000 N95 masks, 2,500 scrubs pants, 2,000 scrubs tops, 250 coveralls, and 67,000 face shields, was shipped by USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance from a warehouse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates — one of four warehouses where OFDA stores pre-positioned emergency supplies around the world.

    “PPE is critical to keeping our public health workers safe from COVID-19. Today Oregon received 78 pallets of PPE from @USAID and @theOFDA, adding to the state’s stockpiles of N95 masks and other PPE,” Oregon Governor Kate Brown wrote Friday on Twitter.

    PPE is critical to keeping our public health workers safe from COVID-19. Today Oregon received 78 pallets of PPE from @USAID and @theOFDA, adding to the state’s stockpiles of N95 masks and other PPE. pic.twitter.com/asQI7nDCu4

    — Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) April 11, 2020

    The shipment follows an “urgent request” from USAID to its implementing partners for PPE and other medical equipment that might be used in the U.S. government’s response to COVID-19.

    According to Erica Euen, an employee at the Oregon COVID-19 Joint Information Center, USAID presented an offer of PPE to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which then distributed the supplies to Oregon and several other states. It was not immediately clear which other states received PPE shipments.

    USAID did not respond to an inquiry from Devex.

    “The United States has not used USAID disaster relief supplies in country since Hurricane Katrina,” said Oregon OEM Director Andrew Phelps in a video posted to his office’s website.

    With the U.S. now facing the largest number of reported COVID-19 cases in the world and hospitals in hot spots around the country reporting medical equipment shortages, USAID’s assistance to other countries has come under scrutiny.

    “The United States has not used USAID disaster relief supplies in country since Hurricane Katrina.”

    — Andrew Phelps, director, Oregon Office of Emergency Management

    Last month, Politico reported that Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the White House’s coronavirus task force, ordered a freeze on USAID’s shipments of medical equipment to other countries to weigh those requests against America’s domestic needs.

    With international supply chains disrupted by the pandemic, global health experts have warned about an international competition for critical medical supplies that could leave low-income countries behind.

    Visit our dedicated COVID-19 page for news, job opportunities, and funding insights.

    • Global Health
    • Trade & Policy
    • USAID
    • United States
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).

    About the author

    • Michael Igoe

      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.

    Search for articles

    Related Stories

    HumanitarianUSAID cuts hinder Myanmar earthquake response

    USAID cuts hinder Myanmar earthquake response

    Devex NewswireDevex Newswire: USAID partners fight aid freeze with lawsuits

    Devex Newswire: USAID partners fight aid freeze with lawsuits

    The Trump effectLeft in the dark: The human toll of USAID's global recall of employees

    Left in the dark: The human toll of USAID's global recall of employees

    Most Read

    • 1
      How low-emissions livestock are transforming dairy farming in Africa
    • 2
      Opinion: Mobile credit, savings, and insurance can drive financial health
    • 3
      Opinion: India’s bold leadership in turning the tide for TB
    • 4
      How AI-powered citizen science can be a catalyst for the SDGs
    • 5
      WHO names new directors in ongoing restructure
    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement