Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Chairman Graham, Ranking Member Leahy, distinguished Members of the Sub-Committee: Thank you for this opportunity to discuss the Sahel region, the rising violence in many parts of that region, and some of the ways in which USAID is responding with humanitarian assistance, investments in community-level institution strengthening, and economic development programming.
The urgency of this topic is clear. Across the Sahel, the recent escalation of violence has resulted in thousands of deadly attacks and four-times the number of conflict-related fatalities compared to 2012. At the epicenter of conflict—where Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger meet—more than 2,000 civilians were killed in 2019 alone. The situation has further deteriorated in 2020; in Burkina Faso, violence has displaced an average of 4,000 people each day since the year began.
It would be a mistake to attribute all of this violence to extremism or inter-religious conflict. But when conflict in the region is combined with persistent instability, extreme poverty, deteriorating environmental conditions, weak and often corrupt governance, and lack of economic opportunity, it offers fertile ground for extremists who seek to advance their own ideology and power.
The President’s Budget Request for FY 2021 for accounts that USAID fully and partially manages is approximately $19.6 billion. It proposes $2.1 billion for USAID-Global Health programs and $5.9 billion for the Economic Support and Development Fund (ESDF). In terms of USAID’s humanitarian assistance, it requests $6 billion for the International Humanitarian Assistance account, which—when combined with carryover resources from FY 2020—will enable us to support an average annual level of nearly $9 billion for FY 2020 and 2021 for overseas humanitarian assistance alone. This would be the second highest level ever and maintains the United States’ role as the largest humanitarian donor in the world. At the same time, we expect other donor countries to contribute their fair share.
Thursday, February 13, 2020
USAID programming under the Merida Initiative complements the work of our colleagues at the State Department's Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, including efforts to combat transnational criminal organizations. These criminal organizations are not only expanding in size and scope, but also diversifying their illicit activities. Criminal networks are fluid, striking new alliances with networks around the world and engaging in a wide range of illicit activities, ranging from illegal trafficking in drugs, wildlife, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling, to cybercrime and money laundering. We partner with the Government of Mexico, civil society, and the private sector to reduce impunity, uphold the rule of law, address corruption, protect human rights and promote freedom of expression, and engage at-risk youth to prevent crime and violence. Ultimately, these efforts will help us to disrupt the activities of transnational criminal organizations and their subsidiaries, reduce illicit trafficking to the United States, and promote Mexico’s security and prosperity.
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
For 65 years, our mission has been to save lives and end hunger by providing food assistance. We do this work because alleviating global hunger represents the best of America's generosity and goodwill. It can also advance U.S. security by helping to stabilize fragile regions, which can make the world a safer place. By helping them recover from crises, our work supports people as they take their first steps on the Journey to Self-Reliance. These efforts complement the work of other parts of USAID, including the Bureau of Food Security (BFS). My remarks today focus on DCHA/FFP’s efforts and mainly on Title II.
Thursday, December 5, 2019
USAID is committed to working with governments, civil society, communities, and the private sector to reduce the impact of conflict; counteract the drivers of violence, instability, and transnational crime; address corruption; advance prosperity; protect human rights; improve human health; and prevent the loss of biodiversity. For all of these reasons, USAID is deeply concerned about illegal and unregulated mining. There is little doubt that illegal and unregulated mining, particularly artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), undermines U.S. interests around the globe, contributes to armed conflict and instability, provides funding to criminal networks, threatens our shared environment, and menaces indigenous people.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
As USAID Administrator Mark Green always says - the goal of foreign assistance should be to end the need for its existence. We know that our investments are having a transformative impact in sub-Saharan Africa and is indeed moving countries toward self-reliance. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has provided nearly 15 million men, women and children in sub-Saharan Africa with anti-retroviral medicine, which means they can now live long, healthy lives with HIV. The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) has averted seven million deaths from malaria in Africa since 2006, primarily among children under the age of five. These dramatic changes are the result of sustained efforts by African governments, civil society, and the private sector with vital support from aid donors, foundations, and international non-governmental organizations. Throughout USAID’s history, we have confronted some of the world’s greatest development challenges, and, along with our partners, we have demonstrated that our work can, and does, have a measurable impact. Even so, every one of our programs should look forward to the day when it can end. As the Administrator says, every USAID Mission must continuously evaluate how each program dollar we invest is actively moving a country closer to that day.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green has for many months emphasized the urgency of addressing the events unfolding in the Sahel. The region experienced a massive spike in deadly violence in the first half of 2019, and this violence shows no signs of letting up. Many assume that extremism only is driving this conflict. Yet the dynamics that underpin violence in the Sahel is much more complex: a mix of persistent instability, extreme poverty, deteriorating environmental conditions, weak and often corrupt governments, and lack of economic opportunity. These factors and the conflict they give rise to offer fertile ground for extremists determines to advance their own ideology and power. In response, USAID not only is providing humanitarian aid, but also programming assistance aggressively to focus on building the capacity of governments and local communities in the Sahel. We are also enhancing access to financial services and markets and generating employment opportunities. As USAID Administrator Mark Green always says - the purpose of foreign aid is to end the need for its existence. In the Sahel, USAID’s investments promote resilience and self-reliance, with the eventual aim of diminishing the need for such assistance.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
The Middle East and North Africa present one of the most complex and high-stakes development contexts in the world. The region faces interrelated challenges of conflict, instability, unemployment, and a lack of responsive and inclusive systems. We at USAID frequently find ourselves operating stabilization and longer-term development programs in the same countries where our colleagues from our Offices of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance and Food for Peace are providing immediate, life-saving humanitarian assistance.
USAID recognizes that most of the countries in the region are middle-income, with young populations whose energy, education and inspiration can be tapped to help make their communities self-reliant. We believe the region can be an example of what Administrator Mark Green envisions in the Journey to Self-Reliance. With well-planned and targeted investments by USAID and other donors, the large youth demographic in the region can advance democracy and drive inclusive growth in modern, free-market economies.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
USAID’s FY 2020 request for the Latin America and Caribbean region is $547 million for programs that advance U.S. national security and economic prosperity, demonstrate American generosity, and promote a path to recipient self-reliance and resilience in support of the Administration’s foreign-policy objectives, including the National Security Strategy and the Department of State-USAID Joint Strategic Plan. Where other countries’ assistance models further dependence or unsustainable debt, the United States’ model is one of partnership with the governments, civil society, and private sector in countries in which we work. Our development assistance promotes a country’s own Journey to Self-Reliance, consistent with U.S.-supported universal values and interests.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
USAID is proud to play a major role in advancing the Administration’s Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS), and projecting strong American leadership on development priorities that advance U.S. economic and national security interests at the heart of ARIA. Under the IPS, the U.S. framework for the region focuses on three pillars: economics, governance, and security. In support of these core pillars, USAID’s strategy to advance the IPS is structured around three objectives, all strongly endorsed by ARIA: strengthening democratic systems, fostering economic growth, and improving the management of natural resources. To advance these objectives in the Indo-Pacific region, the President’s FY 2020 budget request includes a development assistance budget for USAID of $534 million—a 114 percent increase over or a more than doubling of our FY 2019 request. These objectives also go hand-in-hand with our long-standing efforts to improve the lives and well-being of people across Asia as fundamental to creating the foundations for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region. The President’s FY 2020 budget request includes $230 million for USAID’s development assistance in the Indo-Pacific region that is consistent with our vision for the Journey to Self-Reliance, such as programming in health and basic education.
In our 65-year history, we have helped to end hunger for more than four billion people. This legacy would not have been possible without Congressional support, including from this Subcommittee. DCHA/FFP has continued to evolve and improve, most recently because of the small, but important, technical changes in the 2018 Farm Bill that will prepare us for the forthcoming BHA. We have spent the last decade collaborating with DCHA/OFDA to invest food and non-food responses to the same crisis, and the new Bureau will bring us together fully. It will enable us to deliver life-saving assistance even more efficiently and effectively.
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Last updated: March 29, 2020
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