ADMINISTRATOR POWER: Hello, everyone.
I want to thank you all for the chance to address this conference, and for the urgency you are bringing to address the searing humanitarian catastrophe unleashed by President Putin’s brutal war on Ukraine.
A year ago, we were all already dealing with a dramatic rise in humanitarian needs around the world and that was before Putin sparked the fastest exodus of refugees in Europe since World War II, before he rained down bombs and artillery fire on innocents in Mariupol and Kharkiv, before his belligerence led to skyrocketing energy, food, and fertilizer prices, while pulling millions of metric tons of wheat off the global market.
His actions have had unthinkable ramifications, we must pull together resources that we’d never thought we’d have to commit, first to deal with immediate humanitarian consequences, then to assist in the resilience and recovery of our partners in Ukraine.
Today, I’m pleased to announce nearly $387 million in additional U.S. humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, bringing the total amount of humanitarian assistance we’ve provided since the war began to nearly $690 million. This is money that our partners will use to rapidly distribute food and cash to people in war torn areas, to help them access safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene kits, and critical medical supplies.
The U.S. will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine—the fight they face is the fight for values we all share: self-determination, freedom, and a respect for human dignity. I am grateful to you all for your engagement, and for all the historic steps—once unthinkable—that you are taking to support the people of Ukraine. Thank you very much.