Press Releases

Today in Geneva, the United States announced more than $200 million in additional assistance to respond to humanitarian needs in the Horn of Africa, including from the devastating drought and to address the needs of refugees, internally displaced persons, and conflict-affected population in the region. This assistance, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of State will help save lives in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, where more than 20 million people are projected to need emergency food assistance this year following two years of inadequate rainfall in a region dependent on agriculture and livestock to survive.

Today, Administrator Samantha Power met with Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation, to discuss shared priorities and discuss USAID’s strategic partnership with the Government of Egypt to pursue shared development goals.

Yesterday, Administrator Samantha Power met with Ken Ofori-Atta, Ghana’s Minister of Finance, to discuss a range of USAID’s development programs in the country and the urgent need to address rising food insecurity around the world. The Administrator and the Minister spoke about the urgent need to address food insecurity as Putin’s war in Ukraine causes prices to spike and more people to go hungry. Administrator Power outlined the recent launch of the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability and how USAID will work with Ghana and its regional neighbors to address the increasing pressures of violent extremist organizations.

On April 21, Administrator Samantha Power met with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President Peter Maurer to discuss humanitarian emergencies and responses around the world, including in Ukraine and Afghanistan. Administrator Power thanked President Maurer for ICRC’s commitment to meeting the needs of the most vulnerable in challenging contexts across the world, including in countries where it has been difficult to access people in need. The two discussed their shared concerns on the need for urgent humanitarian access in Ukraine. They also discussed ICRC’s challenges in countering disinformation and false narratives about their work in Ukraine. They further discussed ongoing humanitarian needs including health care in Afghanistan. Administrator Power specifically thanked President Mauer for ICRC’s management of hospitals and planned expansion across Afghanistan which provides critical care for the most vulnerable Afghans, especially children.

The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will invest $131 million to counter the impact of Russia’s brutal war on the Ukrainian people and to strengthen Ukraine’s resilience, democracy, economy, and healthcare systems.

Today, Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman met with Samir Saied, the Tunisian Minister of Economy and Planning, to discuss Tunisia’s economic and political reform efforts and USAID’s support to the Tunisian people.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Mars Inc., and the Institute for Development Impact (I4DI) announce a joint investment of up to $7.2 million to improve the profitability and sustainability of Indonesia’s cocoa industry.

The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing nearly $313 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help people affected by the ongoing conflict in northern Ethiopia. Across the Afar, Amhara, and Tigray regions, continued fighting and lack of humanitarian access has left as many as 9 million people facing severe food insecurity and has forced more than 2 million people to flee their homes. In Tigray alone, more than 90 percent of people need aid, while across all three northern regions as many as 1 million people are projected to face famine-like conditions by June.

On April 19, Administrator Samantha Power met with Dr. Seth Berkley, the CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi). Administrator Power expressed USAID’s appreciation for our long-standing partnership with Gavi during this critical moment in time for global immunization access and equity. Administrator Power and Dr. Berkley also discussed Gavi’s core routine immunization portfolio and the procurement and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX. The two discussed the critical importance of continuing to fund vaccine delivery so that we are able to prevent doses from going to waste and mitigate the emergence of new variants by getting shots in arms around the world.