The below is attributable to Acting Spokesperson Pooja Jhunjhunwala:
Yesterday, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power met with UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed to discuss the international response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the urgent response needed to address the grave humanitarian crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia, and the major challenges facing El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras that have led to irregular migration.
During their meeting, Administrator Power and Deputy Secretary-General Mohammed shared concerns regarding the availability and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, and discussed opportunities for scaling up production and increasing dose-sharing. Administrator Power expressed deep concern at the prospect of widespread famine in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. She stressed that the atrocities in Tigray are ongoing and 5.2 million people urgently need humanitarian relief, which is being blocked by armed actors, including Ethiopian and Eritrean forces. Administrator Power and Deputy Secretary-General Mohammed also discussed opportunities to collaborate on shared priorities to address the humanitarian and development challenges in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.