December 4, 2024
By Idris Buba
The US President Joe Biden had during his visit to Angola announced nearly $823 million through USAID of which more than $202 million is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation and nearly $186 million through the U.S. Department of State.
In all, the United States is to provide more than $1 billion in addition to humanitarian assistance to address food insecurity and other urgent needs in 31 African countries.
President Biden, had earlier at the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit in 2022, reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to US/African partners to accelerate progress toward achieving food security, including addressing the immediate and acute food insecurity crisis through humanitarian assistance, classifying Africa is the region with the highest percentage population people ravaged by hunger.
According to UN statistics, one in five Africans of almost 300 million people faced hunger in 2023 and the number of people facing acute food insecurity and malnutrition has continued to increase.
Armed conflict, extreme weather events, natural disasters, and other emergencies increases the needs across the Africa continent and requiring humanitarian assistance to save vulnerable lives.
According to Biden, the announcement, yet again, demonstrates our firm commitment to stand alongside our African partners and people across the continent in addressing the challenge of food insecurity.
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With this additional assistance, including funding from the bipartisan National Security Supplemental, U.S. humanitarian partners are providing life-saving assistance and vital programs for people at risk of exploitation and abuse, including refugees, IDPs, and affected communities.
Additionally, implementing partners are providing emergency health care and water, sanitation, and hygiene services to help prevent the transmission of infectious diseases among the most vulnerable people affected by acute food insecurity and malnutrition.
This funding will also assist affected populations to meet other essential needs, such as protection, mental health, education, and shelter. With the Commodity Credit Corporation funding, USAID is purchasing, shipping, and distributing U.S. agricultural commodities from American farmers to provide life-saving food assistance for food-insecure populations in East and Central Africa.
