ADMINISTRATOR GREEN: Thank you, Senator. And thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Leahy, and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to summarize my written testimony, which you have. I'd like to begin by welcoming the nomination of Director Pompeo. We've had an opportunity to initially discuss how development and diplomacy go hand-in-hand, and I look forward to working with him closely should he be confirmed.
In the meantime, as you alluded to, Mr. Chairman, at USAID we have urgent work to do. From unprecedented humanitarian challenges, to exciting development opportunities, I believe our work has never been more important. And that's certainly been a clear takeaway from my travels over these last eight months.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green met with a number of partner countries and organizations during the Spring Meetings, and discussed support for partner countries on their journey to self-reliance; actions to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse in the aid sector; stabilization and development in the Sahel; the humanitarian response to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and Syrian refugees in Jordan; assistance to vulnerable Venezuelans who have fled to neighboring countries to escape repression and deprivation; epidemic preparedness and maternal and child health; supporting economic and governance reforms in partner countries; and reform of the United Nations Development System.
Well, we're living in interesting times. We have the largest youth population in history. So, it depends on how you talk. We say it's the glass half full or the glass half empty. There are pessimists out there who look around the world, and they talk about all the challenge that we have, the conflict that we have, and it's real. But they look at the number of young people and they see that as a challenge, as a problem to be managed.
Others of us, at USAID, we see the opposite. We see, with the largest youth community in history, the greatest opportunity in history, because with each young person, we have an open mind. With each young person, we have new ideas and new energy. And so, what we hope to do with USAID is play a small role. We're modest. It's all you. We do a small role, but we hope we can unlock. We can hope that we can, in some small way, amplify opportunities for young people.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green participated in the Summit of the Americas in Lima, Perú from April 12-14. In Lima, the Administrator joined Vice President Mike Pence in announcing nearly $16 million in humanitarian assistance for Venezuelans who have fled their country. Also in Lima, the Administrator delivered a keynote address at the Young Americans Forum, met with leaders from Venezuelan and Cuban civil society, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Peruvian Commission for Development and Life Without Drugs (DEVIDA) and the Peruvian Ministry of Economy and Finance. The Administrator also met with regional organizations to discuss the crisis in Venezuela, joined a Congressional delegation trip focused on coca eradication and promoting the cultivation of cacao as an alternative livelihood, and joined Acting Secretary of State John Sullivan for a meeting with leaders from the Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
To be clear, the humanitarian assistance that we are announcing today is not about politics. It is about helping the victims of a massive crisis. This aid is based upon need and need alone, because America will always stand with the hungry and the displaced.
Today, the United States announced nearly $16 million in humanitarian assistance for Venezuelans who have fled their country due to the crisis there.
Transformation is not simply about structure, although that's what seems to be getting a lot of attention. Structure is about 20 percent of Transformation. How we do things, how we manage information flows, how we harness talent: that's the 80 percent that's going to make all the difference. And that's the 80 percent that will deliver the USAID of tomorrow. Structure is just a tool to help us get there.
On behalf of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), I welcome President Trump's nomination of Bonnie Glick to serve as the next USAID Deputy Administrator. With her extensive leadership and overseas experience, both at the U.S. Department of State and more recently within the private sector, Bonnie will bring a wealth of knowledge to the Agency. We look forward to working with the Senate to support her confirmation.
Today, the U.S. government announced nearly $67 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) at the DRC Humanitarian Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland.
Now, I know that among the world's political commentators, we have a number of pessimists these days, who see dark things. They seem to believe that progress is slowing down. They seem to believe that conflict and instability will dominate the world for some time to come, and some of them even suggest that democracy itself is in trouble. These same critics sometimes point to the number of young people today as a problem. There's a cause for concern.
After all, there are 1.8 billion young people in the world today. This is the largest youth population in history. They know that about 90 percent of young people live in developing countries. But you and I know, of course, that where the critics may see challenge, we see opportunity. With each motivated, active, and engaged young mind, we see the seeds of solution, innovation, and hope.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) welcomes Dr. Kenneth Staley as the new Global Malaria Coordinator, responsible for the strategy and implementation of the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative (PMI).
This is an important topic, and we appreciate your interest. Allow me to frame the challenge presented by this new pest in Africa, the Fall Armyworm. After a few opening remarks, I’m very eager to take your questions and have a conversation so we can understand more about the important impacts to food security in Africa.
The Fall Armyworm poses a great challenge to agriculture in Africa, threatening food security and livelihoods. It has been identified in over 35 countries in the past year, in most of sub-Saharan Africa. The pest has the potential to cause billions of dollars in damage and put hundreds of millions at risk for hunger.
From April 11-16, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green will travel to Lima, Peru to attend the Summit of the Americas.
In both Iraq and Syria, our role in stabilization is very carefully defined. And the specific activities -- naturally, as they should -- vary with the setting. There's no one-size-fits-all approach, at least not one that would accomplish the goals that we all want to see and that the President wants to see. Most importantly, our success -- USAID's success -- depends upon the success of the State Department in mobilizing international resources in their role, but also, of course, DOD helping us to have access and security. Without their success, we can't possibly do what it is that we seek to do.
While the United States will continue to provide much needed aid, no amount of humanitarian or development assistance will end this conflict and the suffering of millions. An enduring solution will only come through a comprehensive political agreement, which will require compromise from all sides. To that end, we support the UN Special Envoy's efforts to restart talks.
Today, the United States announced nearly $87 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help the people of Yemen, who face the world's largest food-security emergency and worst cholera outbreak, driven by more than three years of war. This funding brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance for the Yemen response since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2017 to more than $854 million.
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Counselor Thomas H. Staal will travel to Geneva, Switzerland from April 1 to April 5, 2018.
On April 3, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green will participate in a conference sponsored by the U.S. Institute of Peace called "Views from the U.S. Administration, Iraq and Syria Military Leaders and the Region." Administrator Green will join U.S. Central Command Commander General Joseph Votel, and the Department of State's Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, Brett McGurk, for a panel discussion on the role of the United States in stabilizing Iraq and Syria after ISIS.
On behalf of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), I congratulate Dr. Robert Redfield on his new position as Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). From fighting tuberculosis and malaria to preventing the spread of HIV and advancing global health security, our two institutions work together around the world to save lives. We look forward to continuing this important collaboration with Dr. Redfield and our HHS/CDC colleagues.
As World Tuberculosis Day approaches, the U.S. Agency for International Development celebrates the lives saved by the efforts to combat tuberculosis globally, and reflects on the work that lies ahead of us to eliminate this deadly disease. Led by USAID, the U.S. Government is the largest donor to the international fight against tuberculosis, and provides financial and technical support in countries with the highest burden of the disease.
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Last updated: April 25, 2018
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