Dear Decidio Incognito — I love your name! But your photo clearly reveals your identiy as Rick the mad scientist (say hi to Morty for me)! Thanks for the ironic welcome! I have been here in the US with a Green Card for 30 years, so believe me, I took my time deciding to become a citizen!

I won’t dispute the obvious — that much foreign aid in the US is political, but because I have worked as a consultant with USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs (formerly called OFDA), I can tell you that their mandate for humanitarian disaster relief is non-political. At time, they have drawn the ire of Congress, for eample for sending flood aid China in the 1970s before the US recognized the communist government. This article that goes into some detail about it, and I pulled from it this quote from a former directors:

<<Our [OFDA] assistance is to suffering people, not governments. OFDA’s unique “notwithstanding” clause in its congressional mandate permits it to provide humanitarian assistance to countries … precluded from receiving other forms of assistance by [U.S.] legislation…. In civil strife disasters, such as those in Angola, Ethiopia, Liberia, and Sudan, OFDA makes an effort to provide assistance on both sides…. This involves negotiating with the warring parties and mobilizing the international community ….>>

Why have you not heard about this part of the government? Because, they do not beat their own drum. They work quietly, focused on saving lives, not making headlines. Shocking, right?