The below is attributable to Spokesperson Rebecca Chalif:
On July 23, 2021, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power met with the new United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths. Administrator Power congratulated Under-Secretary-General Griffiths as he begins his new role, and conveyed the U.S. Government’s continued commitment to principled humanitarian action and continued partnership with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Administrator Power and Under-Secretary-General Griffiths discussed the urgent need for unhindered humanitarian access to address likely famine, as well as coordinated efforts to end atrocities and ensure respect for human rights, in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. They also discussed the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen and how critical it is for Saudi Arabia to lift the blockade on fuel imports into the Hodeidah Port to ensure Yemenis have access to basic services and humanitarian assistance.
Administrator Power and Under-Secretary-General Griffiths noted their growing concern on several other humanitarian crises around the world, especially the need for increased donor support for the humanitarian response in Central America, the raging COVID pandemic in Burma that has been exacerbated by the actions of the military regime, the need for continued vigilance to ensure access to those in need in Syria, and the deteriorating security conditions in Afghanistan.