COVID-19
Speeches Shim
Thank you, and good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining us for this on-the-record briefing on the details of the Fiscal Year 2022 budget request for the State Department and USAID that was released earlier today. With us on the line are State Department Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Brian McKeon and the USAID Administrator’s Principal Advisor Mark Feierstein.
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration released the President's Budget Request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, which includes $58.5 billion for the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The budget request includes $27.7 billion in fully and partially managed accounts for USAID to support the President’s vision of restoring America’s leadership around the globe. In addition, the American Jobs Plan (AJP) will seek $400 million in mandatory funds over five years, including $80 million in FY 2022, across USAID to develop vibrant clean energy global markets and in turn support job creation in the United States.
Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in Ramallah more than $38 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people, in response to recent violence that displaced more than 100,000 people in Gaza and created urgent needs in Gaza and the West Bank.
On behalf of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), I want to wish Buddhists in the United States and around the world a joyous Vesak, a celebration of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and passing.
I want to express my heartfelt condolences to the family of an aid worker who was killed, reportedly by Eritrean and Ethiopian soldiers in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. The deceased was a partner with USAID in providing desperately needed aid to the people of the region. Every day humanitarian workers risk their own lives to help those in dire need because of man-made conflicts and natural disasters. We hope that his courage and sacrifice, and that of other humanitarian workers intimidated, threatened, harmed, or killed in the Tigray region will not be in vain, as we work with the people of Ethiopia toward a peaceful resolution and a brighter future.
In response to the eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing $100,000 in emergency assistance to provide safe drinking water to people affected and to assist in cholera prevention efforts.
I welcome the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to allocate an additional 6,000 H-2B temporary guest worker visas for nationals from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador for 2021. This expands legal pathways for protection and opportunity for the workers of these countries, while helping address critical temporary labor needs in the United States. H-2B visas allow non-agricultural workers in occupations and sectors with critical shortages to work legally in the United States for a limited period of time.
USAID has deep concerns regarding the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly's May 1st vote to remove the Attorney General and all five magistrates of the Constitutional Chamber of El Salvador's Supreme Court, and larger concerns about transparency and accountability. In response, USAID is redirecting assistance away from these institutions, the National Civilian Police, and the Institute for Access to Public Information.
Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced emergency assistance to help Nepal battle its deadly COVID-19 surge. The first of three flights departed for Kathmandu carrying surgical masks, face shields, and gloves to protect thousands of health care workers in Nepal. This is the first of a series of flights to Nepal and other countries in South Asia as the region experiences this latest surge.
On Wednesday, May 19, USAID Administrator Samantha Power held several sessions focused on the global climate crisis and steps the Agency and its partners can take to slow climate change and mitigate its impact.
Yesterday, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power met with UN Under Secretary General and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock to discuss some of the world’s most pressing humanitarian crises, including in Syria, Yemen, the Tigray region of Ethiopia, northern Central American countries, and Gaza.
The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is airlifting plastic sheeting for shelter needs, kitchen sets, and other relief supplies — to save lives and meet the urgent needs of the Palau people in response to Typhoon Surigae. Arriving in Palau from USAID’s warehouse in Miami, this airlift will support emergency response efforts for more than 3,000 people, with more on the way.
Today, the United States announced nearly $155 million in additional humanitarian assistance to meet the urgent needs of Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh and people affected by ongoing violence in Burma’s Rakhine, Kachin, Shan, and Chin States. This announcement coincides with the launch of the 2021 Bangladesh Joint Response Plan. The new funding includes more than $80 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), alongside nearly $74 million from the U.S. Department of State. The United States remains the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to the crisis in Burma, Bangladesh, and the region, and this latest announcement brings total U.S. assistance to more than $1.3 billion since the outbreak of violence in Rakhine State, Burma, in August 2017.
On May 17, 2021, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power met virtually with Dominic Raab, the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs.
Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recognizes International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia. Commemorated in more than 130 countries, the day marks the anniversary of the World Health Organization in 1990 declassifying homosexuality as a mental disorder.
The U.S. government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing $3.8 million in additional humanitarian assistance for people affected by the eruption of the La Soufrière volcano on the island of Saint Vincent. This additional support will provide thousands of people in Saint Vincent with emergency food assistance, access to safe drinking water, hygiene supplies, sanitary latrines, essential household items,and hygiene promotion activities to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases in shelters and communities. The funds will also provide essential medical supplies and support for health facilities, as well as support for logistics to move, store, and distribute emergency items where they are needed.
The below is attributable to Acting Spokesperson Pooja Jhunjhunwala:
On Thursday, May 13, 2021, USAID Administrator Samantha Power held two sessions aimed at promoting the work of activists and journalists confronting human rights abuses, fighting democratic backsliding, and exposing corruption as governments use the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to suppress dissent and tighten their grip on power.
Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power met with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne to discuss shared development and humanitarian assistance priorities, especially the surge of COVID-19 cases in the Indo-Pacific region. Administrator Power and Minister Payne agreed to continue strong collaboration on pandemic response efforts in the region, as well as measures to address climate change and support women’s health including voluntary family planning, gender equality, and women’s economic empowerment.
Greetings and Eid Mubarak.
As this season of Ramadan comes to a close and our Muslim brothers and sisters prepare to celebrate the Eid, I want to extend my warmest wishes to all those observing this sacred occasion around the world.
On Monday, May 10, 2021, Administrator Samantha Power held several sessions aimed at strengthening faith-based engagement and addressing violations of religious freedom and human rights abuses.
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Last updated: August 17, 2022
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