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COVID-19: Learn how USAID is responding to the coronavirus.

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January 19, 2021

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced $2.4 million for nine new awards under the BetterTogether/JuntosEsMejor Challenge to benefit Venezuelans in the Argentine Republic; the Co-operative Republic of Guyana; the Republics of Chile, Panamá, Perú, and Trinidad and Tobago; and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

January 18, 2021
Statement by USAID Acting Deputy Administrator John Barsa

On January 18, the national Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Day of Service, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) celebrates the 26th anniversary of the official commemoration of the civil-rights leader’s life and legacy. In 1994, Congress passed legislation that established MLK Day as the only Federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities — a “day on, not day off.”

January 16, 2021

This year marks the 235th anniversary of the signing of Virginia’s Statute for Religious Freedom. The statute would eventually become a foundational principle in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which preserves an individual’s right to belief and to choose and exercise faith without government coercion or reprisal. Since 1993, every U.S President has issued a proclamation on January 16 to commemorate National Religious Freedom and celebrate America’s first freedom.

January 15, 2021

To mark National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is pleased to launch the revised Policy on Countering Trafficking in Persons (C-TIP). The updated C-TIP Policy adds new victim-centered, trauma-informed, and survivor-informed approaches, and promotes the intentional integration of efforts to end modern slavery across the Agency’s humanitarian and development programs.

January 14, 2021

Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced more than $5.8 million to fund partnerships in scientific cooperation on research projects to discover, test, and scale breakthrough solutions for critical challenges in international development. The Agency selected 26 research projects for awards through the Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) program, a collaboration with the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The awards range in amounts from $54,000 to $300,000.

January 14, 2021

Today, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Acting Deputy Administrator Barsa announced the launch of USAID’s updated Policy on Economic Growth at an event organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The Policy ensures the future of USAID’s development work will continue to be enterprise-driven. In line with the U.S. National Security Strategy, USAID plays a catalytic role in promoting economic growth led by the private sector and helps developing countries become stronger trading and security partners. The Policy draws on the latest thinking and evidence in the field of economic development, including that investments in sustained economic growth programming are mutually beneficial for partner countries and U.S. economic and national security.

January 8, 2021
Media Advisory

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Acting Assistant Administrator Javier Piedra will travel to Tashkent, Uzbekistan with a delegation led by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.  Piedra will continue on to Almaty, Kazakhstan from January 8 through January 17, 2021.

January 7, 2021

Like all of you, I watched yesterday’s events with a mix of horror and revulsion. That some of our fellow citizens were not just physically assaulting law-enforcement officers, but also were storming and desecrating the United States Capitol - the most tangible and hallowed evidence of our government “by the people” - is unacceptable.

December 30, 2020

On Wednesday, December 30, 2020, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) to increase cooperation to combat the threats to American prosperity posed by malign actors in developing countries, one with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the U.S. Department of Commerce and one with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

December 30, 2020
Statement by Acting Deputy Administrator John Barsa

As we approach the 13th anniversary of the tragic death of our colleague, John Granville, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) welcomes key provisions in the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act that, at long last, will lead to compensation for Mr. Granville’s family. The adoption of this legislation is a necessary step to ensure Mr. Granville’s family and the victims of other terrorist attacks on the U.S. Embassies in the Republic of Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania in 1998 and the USS Cole in 2000 receive $335 million in compensation from the Government of the Republic of Sudan.

December 30, 2020

The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing an additional $5 million in humanitarian assistance to help Nicaraguans affected by Hurricanes Iota and Eta. This brings the total U.S. humanitarian aid to respond to the storms in the Republic of Nicaragua to $6.6 million, and to nearly $53 million for the region.

December 29, 2020
Statement by Acting Deputy Administrator John Barsa

Approximately 10 million newborns around the world need assistance after birth to breathe. Today, we celebrate the pivotal role the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has played in funding the scale-up of a simple innovation that saves the lives of newborns who struggle to breathe in their first minute following birth. In honor of the tenth anniversary of Helping Babies Breathe (HBB), USAID is looking back at the groundbreaking progress that this Global Development Alliance achieved to advance the survival of newborns and the Journey to Self-Reliance.

December 24, 2020
Statement by Acting Deputy Administrator John Barsa

The United States is gravely concerned by the worsening food-security situation in the Republic of South Sudan, and reiterates calls for the Government of South Sudan to take urgent action to enable the humanitarian community to scale up assistance quickly. 

December 22, 2020

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will designate the Kingdom of Morocco as a regional hub for the new, continent-wide Trade and Investment Program funded by USAID under Prosper Africa. This new center of operations for regional trade and investment will create jobs, drive economic growth, and foster shared prosperity in Morocco, the rest of North Africa, and countries across the African continent.

December 21, 2020

The U.S. Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing immediate assistance to support the Government of the Republic of Fiji and civil society to respond to Tropical Cyclone Yasa, one of the most-powerful storms to ever hit the low-lying island nation.

December 21, 2020

The first phase of the Transformation of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is now complete: The new Bureau for Development, Democracy and Innovation (DDI) is operational. As of November 16, 2020, DDI joins the new Bureaus for Asia, Resilience and Food Security (RFS), Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), and Conflict Prevention and Stabilization (CPS), which became operational earlier this year. The new field-focused structure will allow the Agency to make more effective and efficient investments to help communities in partner countries on their Journeys to Self-Reliance.

December 18, 2020
On the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability

Today, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the release of the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability.  This strategy sets forth a framework for U.S. Government efforts to prevent conflict, stabilize conflict-affected areas, and address global fragility in line with the Global Fragility Act of 2019. 

December 18, 2020
Statement by Acting Deputy Administrator John Barsa

Today, I am pleased to announce that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has fulfilled President Trump’s promise to deliver nearly 9,000 ventilators to 43 countries, plus the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

December 18, 2020
Statement by Acting Deputy Administrator John Barsa

The United States is gravely concerned by the worsening humanitarian situation that has resulted from the ongoing conflict in the Tigray Region of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. We strongly urge all parties to ensure full, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access into the Tigray Region for aid organizations, not only to deliver relief supplies but also to maintain a presence on the ground to provide life-saving assistance and basic social services safely to people affected and displaced by the conflict. Additionally, we call on all parties to respect human rights and international humanitarian law, including by protecting aid workers; civilians; and civilian infrastructure, such as houses, schools, and health centers.

December 16, 2020

This week, 65,000 metric tons of wheat purchased through a $20 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to the World Food Programme (WFP) arrived in Sudan, fulfilling a pledge made in November. This donation will help alleviate a significant shortage of affordable wheat as the Sudanese people face growing needs because of a challenging economy, historic floods earlier this year, and the pandemic of COVID-19.

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