COVID-19
Speeches Shim
During the three weeks since a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Haiti, USAID and the Department of Defense U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) have been urgently working to deliver aid to hard-to-reach areas as quickly as possible. Today, because access to affected communities by land and sea has improved and civilian transportation options—including the UN’s air, truck, and barge services—have become available, we have jointly determined that U.S. military assets are no longer required for air transport and logistic support to the U.S. government humanitarian response. USAID requests for JTF-Haiti to transport relief supplies and personnel to affected areas steadily declined in the last week, and all outstanding requests were completed as of September 2. USAID will continue to lead the U.S. response to the earthquake to deliver food, shelter, health and other urgent assistance to hard-hit communities.
Today, Administrator Samantha Power met with Director of International Telecommunication Union, Telecommunication Development Bureau (ITU-D) Doreen Bogdan-Martin. They discussed USAID’s support for Director Bogdan-Martin’s work at ITU-D to expand access to a free and open internet, bridge the gender digital divide, and help developing countries build cybersecurity capacity.
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Principal Advisor to the Administrator Mark Feierstein, National Security Council Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere Juan Gonzalez, and Special Envoy for Haiti Dan Foote spoke with members of the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network (NHAEON) on September 1, 2021.
Today, in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. announced more than $45 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Ukraine. This U.S. government support will help people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as those impacted by the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Administrator Power discussed her recent visit to Ethiopia and the urgent need to work together to press the Government of Ethiopia to remove bureaucratic obstruction to humanitarian operations so that aid—including desperately needed food assistance—can reach Tigray. The Administrator and Minister Haavisto also discussed the humanitarian impact of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) offensives in Amhara and Afar regions, and Administrator Power emphasized that USAID is providing humanitarian support to newly displaced Ethiopians in those regions.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is continuing to get critical aid to Haitians impacted by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti on August 14 by transporting additional relief items and medical supplies to Haiti.
On August 31, 2021, USAID Administrator Samantha Power met with Pfizer President of Global Supply Mike McDermott who gave her a virtual tour of the Pfizer’s vaccine manufacturing plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This facility is producing COVID-19 vaccines, helping fulfill the U.S. Government’s commitment to donate half a billion vaccines to the poorest countries around the world.
On April 25, 2016, our hearts were broken when we learned of the brutal murder of our friend and colleague Xulhaz Mannan, a native of Bangladesh and beloved locally-employed member of USAID’s mission in Dhaka. Xulhaz was a vibrant, selfless, and loving person, a fierce champion of human rights, and a courageous advocate for equality, pluralism, and inclusion for all people—including ethnic, religious, gender, and sexual minorities.
On August 26, Administrator Samantha Power traveled to Haiti, where USAID is leading the United States government response to the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck on August 14. While in Haiti, Administrator Power met with Haitians impacted by the disaster as well as Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry and other Haitian government officials. She also met with those contributing to the U.S. response on the ground, including the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), members of the US military, and USAID staff based in Haiti. During her visit Administrator Power emphasized the United States’ commitment to supporting the people of Haiti during their time of need and announced $32 million in new humanitarian assistance from USAID to support earthquake response efforts.
Today, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced $32 million in humanitarian assistance for Haiti as the Agency continues to lead the U.S. government response to the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on August 14.
During her first official visit to Vietnam, Vice President Kamala Harris announced U.S. government funding provided through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to help Vietnam continue to fight COVID-19, as well as new initiatives to increase clean energy and natural resource conservation efforts, boost Vietnam’s inclusive business environment, strengthen higher education, and continue improving the lives of people with disabilities. These new efforts are expected to total nearly $100 million in new activities in Vietnam.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) continues to lead U.S. government efforts to expand relief operations by air, land, and sea to reach and respond in areas impacted by the August 14 earthquake in southwestern Haiti. Since arriving on the ground that same day, the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) has been conducting search and rescue operations, determining priority needs, and delivering assistance. The DART has reached over a dozen hard-hit communities in Grand’Anse, Nippes, and South Departments, with further missions planned to get additional aid to people as quickly as possible.
The following is attributable to USAID Spokesperson Rebecca Chalif:
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Principal Advisor to the Administrator Mark Feierstein traveled to Miami with Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and National Security Council Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere Juan Gonzalez on August 19, 2021, to engage with leaders of the Cuban, Haitian, Venezuelan, and Colombian diaspora.
In Tigray, where hundreds of thousands are facing famine, food warehouses are virtually empty. This week, for the first time in nine months of conflict, aid workers will run out of food to distribute to the millions of people who are going hungry. USAID and its partners as well as other humanitarian organizations have depleted their stores of food items warehoused in Tigray.
Today, on World Humanitarian Day, the U.S. Agency for International Development pays special tribute to aid workers around the world for their courage and sacrifice. It was 18 years ago that a car bomb claimed the lives of 22 humanitarian workers in Baghdad, including revered United Nations diplomat and peacemaker Sérgio Vieira de Mello. Since that day, the UN has designated August 19 as a day to honor those who put themselves in harm’s way in order to protect and save the lives of those in dire need due to natural disasters, active conflicts, and other humanitarian crises.
It is with great sadness that on behalf of the USAID family I relay the passing of Tresja Denysenko, a tireless disaster response expert with our Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. Tresja passed away unexpectedly on August 19, 2021, while serving on USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) responding to the devastating earthquake in Haiti. I want to express my heartfelt condolences to Tresja’s family, friends, and colleagues.
At the direction of President Biden, the United States Government rapidly mobilized to assist the Government of Haiti and the Haitian people after Saturday’s devastating earthquake. Hours after the earthquake struck, the President authorized an immediate U.S. response. The same day, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power, the President’s designated senior U.S. official coordinating international response efforts, announced the deployment of a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to Haiti. The U.S. Government is coordinating efforts across Departments and Agencies and with international partners and organizations to respond quickly to needs in Haiti.
On August 17, 2021, Administrator Samantha Power spoke with Zambian President-elect Hakainde Hichilema to congratulate him on his election as the seventh President of the Republic of Zambia and to discuss his plans for fighting corruption and strengthening democratic values, press freedom, and civil liberties.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has requested the unique capabilities of the Department of Defense (DoD) U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) to support USAID’s response to the earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti on August 14, 2021.
Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched Maximizing Options to Advance Informed Choice for HIV Prevention (MOSAIC), a new $85 million program funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to help women around the world protect themselves from HIV. FHI 360 will lead a consortium of local and international partners.
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Last updated: September 03, 2021
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