Former US President Donald Trump has accused the administration of President Joe Biden of neglecting the survivors of Hurricane Helene in the southeastern part of the country while sending billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is offering aid to people in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia who were affected by the devastating storm last week. The Republican presidential candidate claims, however, that the government response has been underwhelming due to the incompetence of the Democratic leadership of the country.
”We’re at almost $300 billion for Ukraine and yet they’re offering people $750 for the worst hurricane that anybody’s seen,” Trump told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham in an interview on the sidelines of a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. “But more importantly than that is they don’t have the people.”
He claimed that the response in North Carolina in particular was “a disaster” based on his impressions from visiting the state.
”One man – he’s got a house that’s gone, and he’s sitting on a rock,” Trump said. “You have to help them.”
The claim that federal assistance to hurricane victims is limited to $750 per person has been denied by FEMA. The sum is “an upfront, flexible payment to help cover essential items like food, water, baby formula, breastfeeding supplies, medication and other emergency supplies,” it says on its website. “As your application continues to be reviewed, you may still receive additional forms of assistance for other needs.”
Congress has approved five supplemental appropriations bills providing a total of $175 billion in spending related to the Ukraine conflict since the outbreak in February 2022. Of that money, $70 billion was military assistance and $33.3 billion was budget support going directly to the government in Kiev.
Total bilateral commitments of aid to Ukraine from 41 leading donors, as calculated by the Ukraine Support Tracker, have surpassed $333 billion.
Hurricane Helene killed at least 230 people across several states in the US and caused an estimated $47 billion in property damage.