Speeches Shim
More than three years since the last mass displacement of Rohingya fleeing violence in Burma, we are here today to reiterate our shared commitment to supporting Rohingya refugees and the Bangladeshi communities that generously host them. On behalf of USAID, I’m proud to announce today our additional support, alongside KSrelief, for WFP’s project on cyclone shelter rehabilitation and strengthening disaster readiness. This project is one of the many ways that USAID is strengthening resilience for all communities in Cox’s Bazar.
[As Prepared]
Good afternoon Jim, thank you very much for hosting me.
I’ll start off by addressing the elephant in the room. Yes, there was an election yesterday and no, we don’t yet know the results of all the races. But it is certainly an exciting time to be watching democracy in action!
With the focus on the election, it’s easy to forget that the vital work of the US government and its partners -- especially in the fields of national security and humanitarian assistance -- does not stop for elections.
Based on phone surveys supported by USAID in five African countries, as many as 300 million people are already facing challenges in accessing drinking water. As incomes drop, prices rise, and water is available for fewer hours, many households have less money to pay for water. And in many countries, service providers are at risk of outright insolvency because of pauses on customer fees, higher household demand, and lower industrial use of water.
On behalf of the United States government, it is my great pleasure to join the Ministry of Health and other distinguished partners for today’s exciting “March Towards Finding 45,000 people with Tuberculosis ” Campaign launch. We all understand the immense challenges introduced by COVID-19 in Zambia, and across the globe and while we have experienced service disruptions due to this pandemic, we commend the Government of the Republic of Zambia for your leadership in ensuring the continuity of essential health services to preserve Zambian lives.
I want to underscore how much the Trump Administration, USAID, and the American people care about the situation in Cuba. We see how bad things are, and—as today’s report details—we know that the situation continues to deteriorate. Responsible leaders would see these challenges and take care of the people who are suffering in this way.
In a COVID-altered world, there will be, we can hope, a vaccine and greater enthusiasm for investments in global health. But we must remember that this is more than a healthcare crisis. There will be billions of victims of this pandemic who never caught the virus. And it will fall to USAID and like-minded donors around the world to rebuild what was lost. If we focus on the future while continuing to lead in the present, USAID will prove, yet again, why the United States remains the best friend of the developing world.
The global digital infrastructure is changing rapidly, and the pitfalls and opportunities it presents have never been more consequential. I am encouraged by the attention that friends and partners in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world are giving to this issue. Together, we can ensure the widespread, equitable, and safe proliferation of these vital new technologies.
Religious freedom, it is often said, is America’s first freedom, from which all other freedoms flow. Religious freedom is not only a God-given right, but an American value enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. I am fortunate to lead an agency that is promoting religious freedom in our work every day. Defending and promoting religious freedom for all is a top priority of the Trump Administration, and one that we at USAID take very seriously.
We are here to celebrate the expansion and strengthening of the bilateral relationship between the United States and the UAE.
Today, we are thankful to join Zambia’s Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and Rotary Club International to recognize Zambia’s work toward polio eradication. Most notably, Zambia successfully responded to the recent polio virus type 2 outbreaks in Luapula and Northwestern provinces. I would like to commend the dedication of health workers in these provinces to reach all children who needed the vaccine. The story of Evan Tulumba, a clinical officer with the Kakoma Rural Health Center in North Western Province’s Mwinilunga District, springs to mind as someone who embodies the spirit of Zambia’s health workers during the last polio outbreak response.
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