Tunisia Country Profile

Speeches Shim

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Tunisia promotes an inclusive, accountable political system, and dynamic private sector-led economic growth, which  promotes prosperous and resilient communities across the country and advances Tunisian development. Since 2011, USAID has provided nearly $685 million in assistance to Tunisia.

OUR WORK

USAID supports the Tunisian people’s goal of a democratic government that is responsive to the country’s socio-economic needs. USAID assistance in Tunisia focuses on democracy and governance, economic growth, and COVID-19 response.

ECONOMIC GROWTH

To mitigate the economic and financial crisis in Tunisia, much of USAID’s Economic Growth programming focuses on direct support to small and medium sized enterprises. In the past year alone, more than 19,000 Tunisian businesses have benefited from either our financial or our technical assistance. USAID has also focused on improving the business enabling environment, to create conditions for business to grow and thrive. USAID has focused on far-ranging Public Financial Management reforms which should, once fully implemented, substantially improve government transparency and accountability, currently a major source of public concern.

Economic Growth Results:

  • 30,000 businesses supported

  • 42,000 jobs facilitated

  • 40,000 people trained 

  • $300 million financing facilitated

  • $500 million in Increased Sales for assisted businesses

  • $400 million in Increased Export for assisted businesses

  • 10 digital e-government solutions and platforms to make government interactions with businesses cheaper, faster, more effective

DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE

USAID works with civil society organizations, Tunisian institutions, youth,  and other stakeholders to strengthen Tunisia’s democratic institutions and political processes, encourage diverse citizen participation and engagement, and promote positive youth development. USAID’s democracy and governance programs help advance Tunisia’s democratic consolidation through inclusion for traditionally underserved areas of Tunisia, civic and voter education, electoral systems strengthening, political participation, and citizen oversight initiatives.

Democracy and Governance Results:

  • Over 1 million citizens reached through Civic and Voter Education Campaigns, ensuring that people with disabilities were included in voter outreach efforts 

  • 47 safe spaces refurbished and equipped in communities throughout Tunisia

  • Over 3,940 participants reached in community-based positive youth development and preventing and countering violent extremism activities including 1,832 active youth participants

  • 45,000 followers on social media engaged to promote positive youth development and to prevent radicalization

COVID-19 RESPONSE

As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, USAID has dedicated over $37 million in assistance to support Tunisia in responding to the immediate health crisis, and preparing for the pandemic’s long term economic and social effects. In addition to utilizing existing Economic Growth and Democracy and Governance projects, USAID is also partnering with UN organizations to support efforts by the Government of Tunisia to respond to emerging needs in Tunisia.  

COVID-19 Response Results:

  • Over 2.8 million vaccines delivered to Tunisia through COVAX, helping Tunisia achieve full vaccination coverage of over 55% of the population

  • 86,000 equipment items delivered to 151 municipalities, which enabled 8,000 front line sanitation municipal workers to stop the spread of COVID-19, serving and protecting over half the population in Tunisia 

  • Provided technical support and facility equipment for safe storage and transport of COVID-19 vaccines and upgrading of national cold chain infrastructure for Tunisia’s immunization program:

    • 486 vaccine refrigerators and freezers and 1,000 freezer temperature control devices

    • USAID provided three ultra-cold chain (UCC) freezers for mRNA vaccines

Last updated: July 27, 2022

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