The below is attributable to Acting Spokesperson Pooja Jhunjhunwala:
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.
During their meeting, Administrator Power thanked Under Secretary-General Lowcock for his continued advocacy to authorize cross-border assistance in northwest Syria by renewing and expanding UN Security Council resolution 2533. Administrator Power reinforced that the renewal and expansion of the cross-border mechanism is critical to meet growing needs of Syrian civilians, including the worsening COVID-19 crisis. Administrator Power reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting the humanitarian response in Yemen, where the obstruction of aid and the ongoing manipulation of fuel to northern Yemen are exacerbating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Administrator Power and Under Secretary-General Lowcock also discussed the growing risk of famine and the human rights crisis in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, as well as the urgent need to ensure humanitarian staff safety and strengthen coordination in order to support a scaled-up response in Tigray. Administrator Power underscored the urgent need for unhindered humanitarian access and an end to hostilities in Tigray, as well as U.S. concern about Ethiopian and Eritrean forces’ interference with humanitarian operations. Administrator Power and Under Secretary-General Lowcock also discussed the deepening humanitarian needs in Gaza and support for bringing an end to the conflict.
Administrator Power also thanked Under Secretary-General Lowock for his leadership as he departs his post at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and reiterated USAID’s commitment to principled humanitarian action and continued partnership with OCHA on shared humanitarian priorities.