Dr. Rajiv Shah

immediate search and rescue services to identify any people who are still alive amongst the rubble. That required getting teams from across American counties into Haiti. It would require getting basic urgent needs, mostly water, food, and urgent medicine in place.

immediate search and rescue services to identify any people who are still alive amongst the rubble. That required getting teams from across American counties into Haiti. It would require getting basic urgent needs, mostly water, food, and urgent medicine in place.

It would require deploying the USS Comfort to do 22,000 surgeries, including limb reattachments and other life-saving surgeries that were conducted. And it would require mounting the largest, fastest food assistance program we had ever done. And within hours, within about 36 hours, we were up reaching millions of people with food and targeted nutrition services that undoubtedly saved lives.

It would require deploying the USS Comfort to do 22,000 surgeries, including limb reattachments and other life-saving surgeries that were conducted. And it would require mounting the largest, fastest food assistance program we had ever done. And within hours, within about 36 hours, we were up reaching millions of people with food and targeted nutrition services that undoubtedly saved lives.

But aside from all that, A huge part of it was just asking for help. And this will tell you about the character of people who worked at USAID. I was new and they knew that I didn't know this, that I hadn't been through a humanitarian response of this scale. I got to my office. I spoke to the president. I can tell you about that if you want. And that night, spent all night in the office, right?

But aside from all that, A huge part of it was just asking for help. And this will tell you about the character of people who worked at USAID. I was new and they knew that I didn't know this, that I hadn't been through a humanitarian response of this scale. I got to my office. I spoke to the president. I can tell you about that if you want. And that night, spent all night in the office, right?

Working 24 hours. And overnight, All of our best people, our most experienced people from Afghanistan, from India, from Pakistan, from Peru, all U.S. Foreign Service officers kept calling. And they kept saying, you know, you don't know me yet, but I'm the best person at water and sanitation in a crisis. I'm on a plane tomorrow. I will come help.

Working 24 hours. And overnight, All of our best people, our most experienced people from Afghanistan, from India, from Pakistan, from Peru, all U.S. Foreign Service officers kept calling. And they kept saying, you know, you don't know me yet, but I'm the best person at water and sanitation in a crisis. I'm on a plane tomorrow. I will come help.

And I heard that story from maybe three, four, five different people in the middle of the night. And they were sure enough there as soon as they could get there. And our teams stayed in hotels. There was a huge storm we called Snowmageddon back then that kept people from going home. They just stayed in hotels.

And I heard that story from maybe three, four, five different people in the middle of the night. And they were sure enough there as soon as they could get there. And our teams stayed in hotels. There was a huge storm we called Snowmageddon back then that kept people from going home. They just stayed in hotels.

They're like, we're not going to miss the chance to be here 24 hours a day to run this response. And we mounted the largest and most effective humanitarian response in the first six months that our country has ever seen. And we did that by taking help from people from around the world. We took help from the U.S.

They're like, we're not going to miss the chance to be here 24 hours a day to run this response. And we mounted the largest and most effective humanitarian response in the first six months that our country has ever seen. And we did that by taking help from people from around the world. We took help from the U.S.

military that were heroic, landing planes in tough environments, deploying 3,000 people, General Ken Keane, a three-star commander down there, handing out food himself alongside humanitarian partners. And we took help from private sector partners That had something to offer. So that spirit of we're not going to own this thing. We're not going to have sharp elbows. We know we need help.

military that were heroic, landing planes in tough environments, deploying 3,000 people, General Ken Keane, a three-star commander down there, handing out food himself alongside humanitarian partners. And we took help from private sector partners That had something to offer. So that spirit of we're not going to own this thing. We're not going to have sharp elbows. We know we need help.

We're going to take it from absolutely anywhere is my advice to people who find themselves in a situation that seems beyond their initial capacity.

We're going to take it from absolutely anywhere is my advice to people who find themselves in a situation that seems beyond their initial capacity.

So the next morning we had our first briefing in the Oval Office. It was my first meeting, actually, outside of ceremonial stuff in the Oval Office. So I got there a little bit early because you certainly don't want to be late for that. And I walked in and the only two people in the office were the president and the vice president, both behind the desk.

So the next morning we had our first briefing in the Oval Office. It was my first meeting, actually, outside of ceremonial stuff in the Oval Office. So I got there a little bit early because you certainly don't want to be late for that. And I walked in and the only two people in the office were the president and the vice president, both behind the desk.

Obama was kind of looking towards me and Biden was looking out the window. And as I walked in, I heard Joe Biden tell President Obama, he's like, are you sure about putting this Raj Shah guy in charge of this? He's 36 years old. He just got to Washington. We have this other guy.

Obama was kind of looking towards me and Biden was looking out the window. And as I walked in, I heard Joe Biden tell President Obama, he's like, are you sure about putting this Raj Shah guy in charge of this? He's 36 years old. He just got to Washington. We have this other guy.