The below is attributable to Acting Spokesperson Pooja Jhunjhunwala:
Today, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power met virtually with Pekka Haavisto, Finland’s Foreign Minister and the European Union’s Special Envoy on Ethiopia, to discuss the dire humanitarian crisis in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. This meeting follows a high-level convening of donor countries on June 9, 2021, where an agreement was reached to call collectively on the Government of Ethiopia and all parties involved to end hostilities.
Administrator Power and Minister Haavisto discussed continuing efforts to end hostilities and for full, safe, unhindered humanitarian access, along with restored electricity and telecommunications. They also discussed how to engage other donors to respond to the rapidly deteriorating situation on the ground, including prioritizing food assistance, safe access to water, health, nutrition, shelter and supplies, and emergency agriculture.
Administrator Power also discussed ongoing humanitarian challenges in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras following years of drought, the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity, and the lingering impacts of two major hurricanes. Addressing humanitarian, safety, security, and development needs in those three northern Central American countries remains a priority of the United States.