Speeches Shim
Mozambique’s agricultural sector comprises an overwhelming majority of smallholder farmers. About 70 percent of the population is engaged in agriculture, which serves as the main economic sector in Mozambique (24 percent of GDP). Only 16 percent of the country’s 36 million hectares of arable land is currently under cultivation. In addition, due to obstacles such as lack of access to financing, markets and quality inputs, productivity of small-holder, family-based agriculture is very low. Agricultural development is the key to reducing poverty. USAID agriculture focused programs use a value chain approach to strengthen the agribusiness sector through improved linkages between smallholder farmers and large commercial agribusinesses, processors, and traders. Productivity, processing, and marketing of staple agricultural commodities are expanded by enhancing access to finance, forging public-private partnerships, providing business development services, and improving the business-enabling environment.
Military operations by Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and Turkish-supported opposition groups that began on October 9 displaced up to 215,000 individuals in parts of northeast Syria’s Aleppo, Al Hasakah, and Ar Raqqah governorates, according to the UN. As of November 4, nearly 115,500 people had returned to areas of origin, while more than 99,600 people remained displaced. Large-scale TAF military operations subsided in mid- and late October following various political agreements, prompting some displaced individuals to return to areas of origin; however, hostilities continue to damage civilian infrastructure and exacerbate humanitarian needs, relief organizations report.
Despite strong and sustained economic growth over the past decade, the Mozambican economy has undergone minimal structural transformation. Specifically, growth has not translated into increased employment opportunities. The latest estimate of the unemployment rate is 23% overall, with more than a third of youth between 20-25 years of age unemployed. These figures have remained largely unchanged over the last decade. Coupled with Mozambique’s high population growth rate of nearly 3% per year, the employment situation suggests that most of the 300,000 new entrants into the labor market each year will not find stable employment.
The Government of the Russian Federation (GoRF) and Syrian Arab Republic Government (SARG) announced a unilateral ceasefire in Idlib Governorate on August 31 following several months of a continued GoRF and SARG offensive targeting armed opposition group (AOG)-controlled areas of the governorate. While the number of airstrikes subsided following the ceasefire announcement, relief actors continued to report instances of shelling and isolated airstrikes in southern Idlib through September. The UN reports that GoRF and SARG airstrikes killed more than 1,000 civilians in northwest Syria between April 29 and September 30.
Launched in September 2019, USAID’s Monitoring and Evaluation Support project (MEASURE II) is an extension of its first MEASURE project. The initial project evaluated the impact of USAID’s development programs in Bosnia and Herzegovina and helped build the capacity of local stakeholders to conduct evaluations and social science research to inform policymaking and programming of local organizations and institutions.
USAID LocalWorks funding empowers local actors to take the lead in addressing their local development challenges.
USAID improves the identification, treatment, protection, and access to justice for victims of human trafficking.
USAID is working to build capacity within the National Referral System to better identify and assist victims of human trafficking.
On September 23, U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo announced nearly $119 million in additional U.S. Government (USG) humanitarian funding to support efforts to respond to the Venezuela regional crisis, including inside of Venezuela. The funding—comprising more than $78.8 million from State/PRM, nearly $21.3 million from USAID/FFP, and more than $18.6 million from USAID/OFDA—will enable non-governmental organization (NGO), public international organization (PIO), and UN partners to continue providing critical multi-sector support to vulnerable populations.
USAID recently contributed $7.5 million to Samaritan’s Purse to support health, shelter, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects in The Bahamas’ Abaco and Grand Bahama islands, which experienced widespread destruction due to Hurricane Dorian. Samaritan’s Purse established a field hospital in Grand Bahama and is delivering critical health services to more than 100 patients daily, as well as providing access to safe drinking water for affected populations on the islands.
Comment
Make a general inquiry or suggest an improvement.