Boosting child survival rates will be the focus of a national summit in Mahabalipuram, India, February 7–9 that will bring together more than 200 delegates ranging from policymakers and representatives of development agencies to global health practitioners and civil society members.The national summit on the “Call to Action for Child Survival and Development,” jointly organized by India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, UNICEF and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will be an opportunity for participants to share experiences and pledge to meet India’s child survival and development goals. Learn More
The United States is providing an additional $10 million in humanitarian assistance in response to urgent needs resulting from the brutal conflict in Syria. This new funding will supply enough flour to bakeries in Aleppo to provide daily bread for approximately 210,000 people in need for the next five months. With this new assistance, the United States is providing $220 million to date to help those suffering inside Syria and refugees in the neighboring countries.
The United States remains committed to supporting humanitarian assistance for all Syrians in need throughout the country’s 14 governorates, and to working with a wide range of international partners and Syrian humanitarian organizations, whose dedicated staff are taking great risks to ensure aid is directly reaching those in need.
UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said in another message: “In the past two decades, we’ve seen huge reductions in under-five mortality. But we must do better. In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, over 9,000 children under five die daily, mainly from causes we can prevent. If we can prevent children dying, we must. And with all of your skills and political leadership, we will.”http://1.usa.gov/S40qDB
Photo credit: WFP (Ambassador Lane’s trip to Niger)
"The United States is providing over $81 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help those most in need in the wake of the drought gripping the Sahel region of West Africa, Nancy Lindborg, Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced in Rome today. This new assistance brings the total U.S. Government humanitarian assistance to the region to over $308 million in Fiscal Year 2012."
U.S. Government Donates $30 Million to WFP’s Emergency Operation in South Sudan
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN - The U.S. Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has announced it will provide emergency relief to assist conflict-affected and food-insecure people in South Sudan. The $30 million contribution will be delivered through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). The assistance is in response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in South Sudan, where an estimated one million people are severely food-insecure due to a cereal deficit, high food prices and intercommunal conflict.
“This generous contribution from the U.S. Government comes at a critical time when WFP is expanding its operation to respond to growing humanitarian needs,” said Chris Nikoi, WFP’s country director for South Sudan. “At the same time, we are preparing for the rapidly approaching rainy season, so we are extremely grateful to receive this crucial support.”
Due to South Sudan’s poor road network, about 60 percent of the country will become inaccessible during the rainy season. This contribution helps WFP complete prepositioning of much-needed commodities across South Sudan, where roads will soon become impassable.
“This contribution from the American people is part of the U.S. Government’s continuing support for the most vulnerable people in South Sudan, who are some of the most in need of food assistance to sustain them as they work to rebuild their lives,” said USAID/South Sudan Mission Director Kevin Mullally.
The U.S. Government is the largest supporter of WFP’s operation in South Sudan, and including this donation, has contributed more than $110 million in 2012 to WFP’s emergency operation in the country.
About World Food Programme
WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Each year, on average WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries. WFP now provides RSS feeds to help journalists keep up with the latest press releases, videos and photos as they are published on WFP.org. For more details see http://www.wfp.org/rss
FWD: NFL One Team
These athletes know that teamwork is the key to success, and that we need to work as a team to help end the crisis in the Horn of Africa
Featuring Ray Lewis, Linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens; Asante Samuel, Cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles; Nnamdi Asomugha, Cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles; Maurice Jones-Drew, Runningback for the Jacksonville Jaguars; Greg Jennings, Wide Receiver for the Green Bay Packers; Larry Fitzgerald, Wide Receiver for the Arizona Cardinals; Josh Freeman, Quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Lamarr Woodley, Linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers; Matt Forte, Halfback for the Chicago Bears and Jeff Saturday, Center for the Indianapolis Colts.
Haiti: Two Year Commemoration of the January 12, 2010, Earthquake
The U.N. and other aid agencies have characterized the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti as the largest urban disaster in modern history. The earthquake affected an estimated 3 million people, including approximately 1.5 million people displaced to 1,300 settlements sites throughout Port-au-Prince. One of the biggest challenges following the earthquake has been to provide shelter to those who lost their houses. The more than 10 million cubic meters of debris created by the earthquake have hindered reconstruction efforts. Furthermore, unclear property rights and lack of land titles complicated shelter recovery efforts. The loss of critical records in the earthquake has made identifying the rightful owners of land extremely difficult, and this has exacerbated the problem of identifying land for housing.
Two years since the earthquake struck Haiti, USAID—working closely with other U.S. Government agencies and the international community, and in support of the Government of Haiti’s objectives—has provided significant support for the emergency response and recovery process, and has provided a base for long-term sustainable development in the areas of infrastructure, energy, economic security, food security, health, education, and democracy and governance. Together with the Haitian people, the Government of Haiti, and the international community, USAID and the U.S. Government are continuing to help to build a stable and economically viable Haiti. Click HERE to learn more about what USAID has done since the earthquake.
Helping Guatemala Cultivate a Better Future
By Ertharin Cousin, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies in Rome.
Cooperativa Agricola Integral Mujeres Quatro Pinos (Integrated Women’s Agricultural Cooperative) in the central highlands of Guatemala is a heartening example of what women can accomplish when they set their minds to it, work together and receive the necessary investment support.
I visited Quatro Pinos’ vegetable production, processing, and marketing operation last week on a media tour of Guatemala as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations agencies in Rome.
In just six years, the cooperative has grown from a group of 35 women with small vegetable plots to a 350-member cooperative that manages 415 acres of land. Since the fall of 2010, they have quadrupled their production from 450,000 to 2 million pounds of vegetables. They grow snow peas, English peas, string beans, and mini carrots that they then process, package and export — much to the… more »
FWD Campaign and MTV Announce Celebrity Auction for the Horn of Africa
Just in time for the Holiday season, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Ad Council, and MTV Act have partnered to launch a celebrity auction to raise awareness and money for the crisis in Horn of Africa.
The auction, running until December 18, features exclusive items and experiences from MTV artists and show talent. Snooki, Rob Dyrdek, Nick Jonas and Kelly Clarkson are a few of celebrities that have donated items to be auctioned off. Proceeds of the auction will go to a group of eight organizations working to provide humanitarian relief to the crisis. To view the auction visit: http://is.gd/mtvactauction.
Today in East Africa, in a region known as the Horn, more than 13.3 million people are in crisis - that’s more than the populations of New York City and Los Angeles combined. The worst drought the world has seen in 60 years is devastating farmlands, uprooting families and killing tens of thousands in four countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia.
The auction is part of USAID and Ad Council’s Famine. War. Drought (FWD) Campaign. Launched on September 19th, the FWD campaign aims to raise awareness of the crisis in the Horn of Africa and link Americans to actions that can help those in need. To learn more about the crisis in the Horn of Africa, visit www.usaid.gov/FWD.
Ambassador Ertharin Cousin, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, checks out lush veggies in Honduras. Past USAID projects like this have made 28k families self-sufficient
In Defense of Smart Foreign Assistance
![USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah in Washington, January 7, 2010. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2011_0706_shah_twitter_qa_m.jpg)
By Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
This week more than 2,000 government, civil society and private sector leaders have gathered in Busan, South Korea with one goal: to improve the quality and effectiveness of development aid.
The setting is especially significant; 50 years ago, South Korea was largely a country of peasant farmers. It was poorer than two-thirds of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa and its people barely lived past the age of 54.
Today, South Korea is a high-tech hub, a net donor and its people have some of the longest life expectancies in the world. South Korea also happens to be the seventh largest market for American goods; we sell more to the South Koreans than we do to the French. The free trade agreement President Obama recently signed with South Korea means we’ll be selling even more to Seoul in the future, leading to high-paying American jobs.
South Korea’s… more »
U.S., International Partners Launch Food Safety Fund
U.S. leaders joined with international partners on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting in Honolulu to launch the Global Food Safety Fund, intended to provide training programs “designed to enhance food safety and to facilitate trade” worldwide.
“These programs will enable more growers, producers and food safety officials to understand and utilize preventive controls — resulting in safer food for consumers and fewer safety incidents in food trade,” the State Department said in a November 12 statement. Read more
Today, November 9, 2011, is FWD Day of Action. FWD the facts and help us to reach 13.3 million FWDs in honor of the 13.3 million in need. FWD the facts now!
USAID Celebrates 50 Years of Progress
For 50 years, USAID has been helping communities and countries build a better future for themselves and their families, working to help others while also serving America’s own national interests. USAID is honoring 50 years of progress and celebrating an agency that is reinventing itself to become more innovative, more entrepreneurial, and more results-driven, so that it can continue to bring hope, opportunity, security, and prosperity to millions of people around the world.
