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The East African Community and the Eastern Congo Crisis

The East African CommunityThe Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has endured more than three decades of conflict, with constant attacks on civilians and insecurity fueling a severe humanitarian crisis. Even before the recent surge in violence, 21 million people were internally displaced and in dire need of humanitarian assistance, a number that continues to rise daily. The ongoing DRC crisis in Eastern Congo has displaced more than 6 million people, creating a cycle of dependency on aid.

This situation will likely worsen the DRC crisis due to funding shortages, including significant cuts from the United States, which accounted for 70% of the DRC’s aid in 2024. Despite these challenges, humanitarian organizations and regional neighbors like the East African Community (EAC) remain committed to fostering peace and delivering essential aid to the Congolese people.

First Congo War 1960-1965

Shortly after gaining independence from Belgium, chaos erupted as the Force Publique soldiers at the Thysville military base, marking the beginning of the DRC crisis. Congolese soldiers revolted against their white counterparts, demanding better wages. This unrest quickly escalated to other military bases, igniting widespread violence across the nation.

Just two days earlier, the provinces of Katanga and South Kasai had declared their independence from Congo. These post-colonial power struggles led to the assassination of Patrice Lumumba on January 17, 1961, which only deepened the chaos. On November 25, 1965, Mobutu Sese Seko seized power in a coup, renaming the country Zaire. He ruled until 1997 when he was ousted after decades of corruption and economic mismanagement.

The Rwanda Genocide and its Aftermath

When the Rwandan genocide ended in 1994, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) reclaimed the Rwandan capital, Kigali. The advance of the Tutsi-led rebels forced more than one million Hutu refugees to flee to the DRC (then Zaire), where they staged attacks against the Kigali government while being sheltered by Mobutu.

In 1996, the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) and the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (ADFL), under the command of Laurent Kabila, conducted attacks on the camps. The war pitted the ADFL against Mobutu Sese Seko’s Zairian Armed Forces (FAZ), Interahamwe militia, Rwandan Armed Forces ex-FAR and mercenaries. This rebellion stoked ethnic tensions, particularly with the Banyamulenge Tutsis in eastern Congo and eventually led to the overthrow of Mobutu in 1997.

Second Congo War 1998-2003

After Mobutu fled to exile in Morocco, Kabila expelled all foreign soldiers, but the Hutu militias stationed in eastern Congo continued their attacks on Rwanda. In August 1998, Rwanda invaded eastern Congo with the support of Congolese Tutsi and rebel groups against Kabila. This marked the start of the Second Congo War, which drew in as many as 14 different armies, including troops from Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe, who backed Kabila against Burundi, Uganda and Rwandan forces against Kabila.

The wars led to countless deaths, displacements and entrenched ethnic divisions and resource-driven conflicts in eastern Congo, leaving a legacy of instability that persists today.

The Role of the East African Community

The EAC is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Burundi, DRC and Somalia. The community has committed to maintaining peace and restoring stability in the DRC. Some of the interventions include:

  • In July 1999, Rwanda, Uganda and four other warring nations signed the Lusaka Accord, formalizing a ceasefire to end the Second Congo War.
  • In 2002, Rwanda and Uganda endorsed the Pretoria Agreement, while Uganda and the DRC agreed to withdraw Ugandan troops and restore bilateral relations under the Luanda Agreement.
  • Between 2008 and 2009, Rwanda and DRC held joint military operations called Kimia to disarm armed groups in eastern DRC.
  • In 2022, the EAC deployed regional forces to eastern DRC to work with the DRC forces to combat armed groups and support humanitarian efforts.
  • In 2022, the EAC Nairobi Process emerged, rallying regional leaders, civil society and international partners to prioritize dialogue and negotiation, particularly pushing for dialogue between the government and M23. 
  • In 2023, the Joint EAC-SADC united regional leaders in committing to a lasting solution, urging peaceful coexistence. Despite setbacks, such as President Tshisekedi’s refusal to attend a virtual summit hosted by Kenya’s William Ruto in 2025, regional collaboration remains central to resolving the crisis.

Final Remarks

The East African Community has dedicated significant efforts to fostering dialogue and promoting peace in the DRC, from a conflict dynamic to peace initiatives. However, it has encountered various challenges and criticisms. The deployment and subsequent withdrawal of the EAC Regional Force underscored the need for a more effective approach to tackle the issues comprehensively.

The differing economic and political interests among member states complicate the mission to pursue peace, as these divergent priorities have prompted the DRC government to seek assistance from external parties, further exacerbating the country’s instability.

The DRC crisis is a complex weave of historical injustices, failed governance, external meddling and a lack of global concern. Achieving a lasting solution goes beyond ceasefires. It requires dismantling systems that favor resource exploitation at the expense of human dignity. It also calls for holding regional powers responsible for destabilizing and empowering Congolese communities to take charge of their recovery.

– Grace Ruria

Grace is based in Nairobi, Kenya and focuses on Technology and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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The Sahrawi Refugee Response Plan

Sahrawi refugeeThe Sahrawi refugee crisis, one of the longest-standing in the world after the displacement of Palestinians in 1948, continues to persist with little resolution in sight. Since 1975, following Spain’s withdrawal from Western Sahara and the ensuing armed conflict between Moroccan forces and the Polisario Front, approximately 173,600 Sahrawi refugees have lived in five camps near Tindouf, Algeria.

Current Situation

The Sahrawi refugees are scattered across five camps on the unforgiving “hammada,” a vast and remote desert plain in the Sahara. The most distant camp lies 170 kilometers southwest of the Algerian city of Tindouf, in an area marked by isolation and a lack of economic opportunities. The harsh climate, with temperatures soaring to 50 degrees Celsius in the summer, frequent sandstorms and occasional floods, further exacerbates challenges facing the refugees, such as limited access to necessities and health risks.

Food insecurity is a dire issue, with nearly 90% of the “Sahrawi refugees either food insecure or vulnerable to food insecurity.” A 2022 Joint Assessment Mission and Nutrition survey by the World Food Programme (WFP) reveals a worsening nutrition crisis. The prevalence of life-threatening wasting among children aged 6 months to 59 months has risen from 7.6% in 2019 to 10.7% in 2022. More than half of these children suffer from anemia, two-thirds do not receive the diverse diet needed for healthy development and nearly a third suffer from chronic malnutrition.

Furthermore, the refugees’ heavy dependence on international humanitarian aid, severe living conditions and food shortages have forced many households to cut back on health expenditures or sell off their livestock. Inadequate infrastructure severely hampers the delivery of essential services such as education and health care, leading to high child and maternal mortality rates and adversely affecting the population’s overall health and well-being.

Additionally, employment opportunities within the camps are minimal, leaving a third of Sahrawi refugees without any income and 60% economically inactive. The extreme climate and remoteness of the camps have curtailed traditional income sources like agriculture and livestock rearing. This is particularly detrimental to young people who, due to economic frustrations, may resort to high-risk activities such as smuggling and theft.

The Sahrawi Refugee Response Plan

In response to the myriad of challenges the Sahrawi refugees face, in 2003, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) launched the interagency Sahrawi Refugee Response Plan (SRRP). This initiative, requiring a total of $214 million, represents the first unified effort to address the needs of the Sahrawi refugee population. The plan brings together 28 partners, including the Algerian Red Crescent and the University of Madrid, to deliver coordinated humanitarian assistance.

The SRRP

The SRRP outlines several key priorities, including ensuring refugee protection and legal assistance and providing essential services such as food, shelter, health care and education. The plan also aims to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions in the camps, which are critical given the harsh desert environment.

In addition to these immediate needs, the SRRP aims to support livelihoods by providing essential supplies, vocational training and income-generating activities. This includes the distribution of 1,500 high-quality cooking stoves and 3,000 bales of second-hand clothes from UNIQLO. On the health care front, the plan addresses the prevalent malnutrition with supplementation, including iron and folic acid, systematic deworming and outpatient care for particularly severe cases.

Education is another focal point, with the SRRP aiming to improve the quality of instruction by training teachers and educational personnel. By tackling a broad scope of issues and closely coordinating with the Algerian government, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and other United Nations (U.N.) agencies, the SRRP aims to deliver a comprehensive and effective response, ideally addressing the immediate and long-term needs of the Sahrawi refugee population.

Challenges and Way Forward

A U.N. press briefing from November 2023 confirms that, although the plan has received some donor support, operations remain underfunded. The U.N. actively calls for additional contributions to implement the plan and fully sustain refugee humanitarian assistance. The success of the fundraising efforts is still being determined, but the plan is set to run through 2024 and 2025. By the end of this period, it will be evident whether these initiatives have provided the support needed to improve the livelihoods of the Sahrawi people and move them closer toward long-term stability and self-reliance.

– Asma Issa

Asma is based in London, UK and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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USAID Programs in Cuba

USAID Programs in CubaCuba is home to a tropical paradise, mountains to the southeast, but mostly flat landscapes. The United States (U.S.) and Cuba, which reside on the same side of the globe, continue to experience difficulties due to U.S. sanctions set by President John F. Kennedy in February 1962. Currently, three USAID programs in Cuba work to reduce poverty amid continued sanctions, the recent pandemic and stifled support from Cuba’s government.

Grassroots Groups Stepping In

Cubans, unsatisfied with the response from their government, led grassroots movements after a tornado ripped through Havana in 2019. These grassroots movements leveraged social media to reach out to Cuban donors and donors abroad. After one day, these movements received “over 20,000 Cuban pesos ($833), two packs of medicines, and more than 100 masks.” Cuba’s government could not step in to assist its citizens. As a result, its citizens created their USAID program in Cuba. 

Through solidarity, Cuban citizens receive much-needed aid through social media channels and money used to purchase food and medicine. Addressing the more severe issues requires external funds from foreign countries since small donations are a short-term solution. The U.S. is one of many other nations that work to solve root issues of hunger, poverty and malnutrition. The nation hopes their actions will result in prosperity and develop each other’s economy.

USAID’s Ongoing Efforts

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) meshed existing foreign assistance organizations and programs on November 3, 1961, to consolidate resources and agencies. While the U.S. has set sanctions toward Cuba, USAID provides continuous humanitarian assistance through “nutritional food items, vitamins, over-the-counter medicines, and toiletries.” The Biden administration announced $2 million in funding for emergency relief in addition to USAID’s continued assistance.

This funding will assist Cuba in addressing the lack of necessities, especially tobacco production. Estimates show that nearly “9,000 hectares of crops [bananas, cassava, rice and corn] were affected, leading to malnourishment and a lack of diverse food. The country’s government has received criticism after suppressing political activism instead of listening to the demands of its citizens. The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) recognizes the need for U.S. humanitarian aid and international aid from other nations.

While the U.S. continues its sanctions toward Cuba, USAID programs in Cuba are working to create stability and cooperation with other nations as well. Another organization is Sweden’s government agency, Sida, which “strives to reduce poverty and oppression around the world.”

Sweden’s Ongoing Efforts

Based on the 2022 analytics provided by Openaid, Sweden has contributed around $3.23 million, with most funds going to various projects and programs in the country. The funding goes to three different sectors in Cuba, in order of importance: human rights, gender equality and democratic development; environment, climate and sustainable use of natural resources; and better living conditions and livelihoods. Spending is focused on three areas, the two most important to reducing global poverty being the second and third items.

With Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) cooperation, Sida educates municipalities and smallholders in biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture. Currently, Cuba dominates large-scale monocultures, where only one crop is grown. “Half of the farmland is used to grow sugar cane,” which impairs biodiversity and, in the event of natural disasters, destroys food security and a more varied diet.

Most of the food Cubans consume is imported, with estimates showing up to 80%. In 2022, Cuba made great efforts to recover from its high dependence on food imports, receiving aid through the World Food Programme (WPF) and seeing a slight economic recovery. The WFP and Sida work to reduce the losses from natural disasters. The organization educates, assists and provides tools to farmers to minimize Cuban food insecurities, increase the yields from diverse crops and improve the quality to ensure a varied diet. Farmers, women and the youth are working with USAID programs in Cuba to provide education and methodology persists through natural disasters, poverty and a repressive government. 

Ongoing Solutions

Despite Cuba’s ongoing obstacles, various groups and organizations are stepping in to provide the humanitarian aid it desperately needs. From Openaid, the three sectors that receive the majority of funding are government and civil society, general environmental protection, and banking and financial services. The other sectors, like water supply and sanitation, receive about $12,000 or around .38% of the $3.23 million. 

There is a need for systems and infrastructure to continue developing to ensure women and youth receive proper nourishment. Grassroots movements continue to receive primary and minor donations for medicine. USAID provides further funding to educate farmers on appropriate maintenance, with other nations providing additional assistance. The inclusion of social media further encourages people from all over to draw awareness to global issues and help enact change to reduce extreme poverty.

– Luis Lujano-Garcia
Photo: Unsplash

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Facts on Foreign Aid Efforts in Afghanistan

Foreign Aid efforts in AfghanistanAfghanistan’s evolution after two gruesome decades of immense adversity has caught the attention of countries all over the world. The South Asian nation has made breakthroughs in infrastructure, getting millions of girls in school and improving community development. Nonetheless, foreign aid efforts in Afghanistan are still crucial for the further development of the country.

Foreign Aid Skepticism and COVID-19

The world wants to see Afghanistan succeed, but despite willing donors, definitive complications hinder the level of aid that Afghanistan is severely reliant on. The imminent withdrawal of U.S. troops has caused violence from the Taliban to spike while pressures of long-awaited peace talks between the two powers unfold, making donors wary of sending money that could be wasted due to corruption based on past events.

On top of that, COVID-19 is running rampant and bruising economies all over the world, cutting aid efforts in half compared to previous years.

Afghanistan’s rooted systematic issues will continue to undermine any reconstruction and development efforts unless a clear and mindful plan is made that addresses the topical concerns affecting the nation and motions toward this kind of growth are beginning to come to fruition. There are several important facts to note about foreign aid efforts in Afghanistan.

Cuts to US Forces Links to Cuts Toward Aid

To end the United States’ longest war, the Pentagon announced that a cut to U.S. forces in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500 will be underway by mid-January 2021. This decision has already sparked vigilance and tensions between the Afghanistan government and the Taliban, as there is a great concern that the Taliban will feel invited to expand its influence and interfere with hopes of peace and progress. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, urges that Afghans are in “acute need” of humanitarian support, stating that nearly 300,000 Afghans have been displaced by conflict in 2020.

Deadly attacks on Afghan forces show the Taliban’s intentions during a time where peace talks are being strained after months of stagnance and it has made donors feel uneasy about whether the Taliban could abuse any funding meant for aid. Even amongst suspicions, foreign donors like Germany are still showing support, urging the international community “not to turn their backs on Afghanistan.”

Ensuring Prosperity is an International Effort

After 19 years of promised reforms and attempts to grow the economy after the U.S. ousted the Taliban in 2001, Afghanistan will still be reliant on international support for the foreseeable future. Ministers from about 70 countries and officials from humanitarian organizations have pledged a total of $12 billion to the war-torn country over the next four years, at Afghanistan’s international donor conference held on Nov. 23 and 24 of 2020.

Germany has pledged $510 million in civilian assistance, the United Kingdom pledged $227 million in civilian and food aid, Norway pledged $72 million in development assistance and humanitarian aid and the United States pledged $600 million in civilian aid but made half of it conditional on the progress of Taliban peace talks. The U.S. was not alone in donating with specific conditions. All donors stressed that aid would only come as long as Afghanistan shows that it is committed to the peace process and that all parties to the Afghan conflict must respect human rights.

COVID-19 Causes Donation Restraints

Afghanistan is one of many countries taking an economic plunge due to COVID-19. The poverty level jumped from 54% last year to 70% during the pandemic, with more than half the population living on $1.14 a day, despite the billions of dollars devoted to the country over the last two decades.

A global pandemic combined with fragile circumstances emphasizes the need for foreign aid in Afghanistan, but with the heavy burden of COVID-19, most international donors have made significant restrictions on how much they can give. At the last donor conference in 2016, countries pledged a total of $15.2 billion for the years 2017-2020 compared to the $12 billion for 2021-2024.

Past Corruption is Obstructing Development

The U.S. government’s independent oversight authority on Afghan reconstruction, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), reported on October 20, 2021, that $19 billion of the total $63 billion that the U.S. has spent on Afghanistan’s reconstruction since 2002 was lost to waste, fraud and abuse.

With corruption forming such a stain on Afghanistan’s reputation and leaving remnants of distrust amongst potential donors, it is apparent why obtaining the necessary aid for growth and development has been such a hindrance for the war-torn country. That is why it is vital to ensure that future investments being made toward reconstruction are not lost and exploited.

Prospects for Peace

The Afghan government and the Taliban have endured a three-month impasse regarding peace talks that were finally brought to a close on November 2, 2020. The Afghan government and the Taliban are now expected to implement an agenda on how they can be partners in developmental changes and advancing realistic and sustainable peace plans.

As the world carefully watches the peace talks unfold, there is hope for a new start. Afghanistan is ready to transform into what it has envisioned for decades, and with realistic compromises set in place, there is an assurance that donors and the international community will feel less wary about foreign aid efforts in Afghanistan.

– Alyssa McGrail
Photo: Flickr

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How Foreign Aid in Mozambique is Put to Work

Foreign Aid in MozambiqueThe provision of foreign aid from the United States serves as a multifaceted solution and preventative measure to many issues that ultimately impact the United States. In assisting with the development of under-resourced countries and those afflicted by natural disasters and conflict, the country’s interest in strengthening U.S. eminence in the global political ecosystem is served, as is the initiative to foster and stabilize democracies that are essential in maintaining global peace. Mozambique is one such country that receives aid from the United States. Nearly half of the population lives in poverty and while having managed to combat that statistic with an annual decrease of 1%, the country continues to see rising levels of inequality. USAID’s 2019 assistance investment in Mozambique totaled $288 million. Foreign aid in Mozambique is being used in several key developmental areas.

Developing Education

A significant portion of U.S. foreign aid has been invested in providing basic education. This foreign aid in Mozambique has been applied in conjunction with the country’s national budgetary allocation of 15% for basic education. This initiative has led to improved access to education with the abolishment of enrollment fees, an investment in free textbooks, direct funding to schools and the construction of classrooms. With access to education improving, Mozambique now moves to focus on developing the quality of education it provides and extending the initiative of improving access to those who are in the early learning stage. Only 5% of children between the ages of 3 and 5 have access to such services. Moving forward, educational initiatives aim to focus on the improvement of teacher training, the retention of students (as only 8% continue onto secondary level) and optimizing the management and monitoring of education nationally.

Addressing Humanitarian Needs

A large part of foreign aid in Mozambique has been committed to battling humanitarian crises. Cabo Delgado is the northernmost province of the country and is experiencing an insurgency that is decimating its infrastructure and food security. As a result, there is an ongoing displacement of the population. In November 2020 alone, more than 14,300 displaced people arrived in the provincial capital Pemba. The World Food Programme estimates the cost of feeding internally displaced people in northern Mozambique to be at approximately $4.7 million per month, aside from the housing costs and the complexity of managing the crisis amid a global pandemic. This allocation of the country’s foreign aid will be vital in maintaining the wellbeing of people during the conflict and restoring the country’s infrastructure once the insurgency has subdued.

Improving the Health Sector

The bulk of foreign aid in Mozambique goes toward the many challenges the country faces with regard to health issues such as funding family planning, battling tuberculosis, maternal and child health as well as water and sanitation. More than $120 million goes toward this initiative but the most pressing of the issues is mitigating the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In 2014, Mozambique ranked eighth globally for HIV cases. With the support, antiretroviral therapy and testing has expanded, which is evidenced by more than a 40% drop in new cases since 2004. Additionally, with a sharp increase in the treatment of pregnant women who carry the virus, one study recorded a 73% drop in cases among newborns between 2011 and 2014. The executive director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibe, has claimed that the epidemic could be completely eradicated by 2030 if such a rate of progress continues.

The developmental progress in Mozambique is reflective of the substantial impact that foreign aid has on developing countries. As U.S. foreign aid to developing countries continues, the hope is for other well-positioned countries to follow suit.

– Christian Montemayor
Photo: Flickr

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Eliminating Human Trafficking in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Human Trafficking in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Human trafficking is both a human rights and an economic concern. The following is a discussion on the progress being made in eliminating human trafficking in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Human trafficking accounts for a large portion of the economic flow in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; unfortunately, little is being done to combat this occurrence by the Congolese government. This practice has thus continued to be a common human rights violation in the country and is perpetuated by a handful of linked issues such as corrupt government, poor economic climate and low infrastructure. 

Prevalence of Human Trafficking and Existing Laws

Currently, no laws exist in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to prevent human trafficking.

Further, human trafficking rings are often under the control of gangs and various militant groups that the Congolese government has little power to challenge. This makes the country a breeding ground for human trade and other human rights violations.

Current Aid and Interventions

Despite the Congolese government’s inefficiency in eliminating human trafficking in the DRC, several different aid groups have begun working on behalf of the cause. Among these groups are the United Nations and USAID.

Unfortunately, Joseph Kabila, the current president of the Congolese nation, is refusing aid, insisting that it is not needed despite the millions of displaced people unable to regularly access food. Kabila has threatened outside parties that offer assistance — including Sweden and the Netherlands — and made it hard for the victims of and those vulnerable to human trafficking to receive the intervention that they need.

Earlier this year, the humanitarian assistance needed in the DRC was estimated at $1.7 billion, which is four times the amount of aid that was offered last year. Due to increased hostility from President Kabila, those raising aid for the nation will face large hurdles from the government if they continue working amidst Kabila’s threats.

Although the United Arab Emirates has been clear that they will not sponsor aid unapproved by Congolese officials, at this point no other aid source has withdrawn their pledge to support the rehabilitation of the DRC. The hope is that the aid to be received will be used to confront big-ticket issues in the nation, with human trafficking among the biggest concerns.  

Moving Forward in Eliminating Human Trafficking in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

While there are many obstacles that the Democratic Republic of the Congo faces along with anyone who dares to support its victims, there is a clear opportunity for the world to be a force for good.

There is power in numbers, and the greater support citizens of the nation receive, the greater the likelihood the nation will push through to the other side of its very real and serious struggles.

A great tool for U.S. citizens is writing to representatives about issues that are important, requesting changes. Many small voices can make a powerful impact.

– Alexandra Ferrigno
Photo: Flickr

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Addressing USAID’s Support for Children Around the World

USAID's support for children
Among the groups that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) aims to support, children across the world are a top priority. From health-related aid to education opportunities and protection from violence, USAID’s support for children employs a variety of means to help kids survive and grow despite poverty and other adversities.

USAID Addresses Preventable Child Mortality

An important aspect of USAID’s support for children is access to medical assistance. An overwhelming 75 percent of child deaths under the age of five results from newborn deaths and treatable diseases: pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria. These illnesses could be effectively countered by timely low-technology treatments, which USAID attempts to provide on the local level by bolstering public-private engagement and promoting Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM).

USAID strengthens iCCM programs that train and assist with local community members treating children. Such programs provide vital medical care on the ground in communities that are often hard to reach. USAID helps construct sustainable networks of monitoring and evaluation, clinical referral, supportive supervision and more, which in turn ensure the functioning of iCCM programs.

A USAID-supported iCCM program in Zambia led to a 68 percent early treatment rate of childhood pneumonia. USAID’s efforts to treat malaria have reached millions of children in Tanzania alone, where 70,000 people die from the disease annually. Within a decade, simple preventative action and treatment by community health workers have contributed to a 28 percent decrease of child mortality rate.

USAID’s Support for Children: A Comprehensive Action Plan

USAID’s efforts to help children around the world are not limited to medical care. USAID, together with other U.S. government departments and agencies, launched the ambitious and comprehensive five-year U.S. Government Action Plan on Children in Adversity in 2012. Backing the plan is Public Law (PL) 109-95, signed in 2005 to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which asks the U.S. government to effectively respond to vulnerable youths in low and middle-income nations.

USAID’s support for children is wide-ranged and well-coordinated under the Action Plan, focusing on the value of investing in boys and girls in order to achieve long-term economic and social progress. Among those receiving aid are children affected by HIV/AIDS, those living outside of family care, those who have been trafficked, those under sexual violence or exploitation and more.

Interventions employed by the Action Plan are evidence-based, meaning they are both effective and instructive for further action in the future. Such actions include improving the families’ socioeconomic status, rescuing youths suffering from the worst forms of child labor, promoting protective family care and protecting the education of both children and their surrounding communities.

According to the most recent annual report for Congress, the plan has reached millions of young lives since 2012. Understanding the significance of nutrition, especially in the first thousand days of life, USAID and Food for Peace sent food assistance to approximately 20 million children in 61 countries with funds from Fiscal Year 2015. Children separated from their families in 11 countries received help from USAID to return to family care.

Effective Utilization of the Private Sector

Many of USAID’s support for children take place in the private sector, via public-private engagement as well as recent “development impact bonds.” Public-private engagement is manifest in USAID’s Strengthening Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS), which increases the ready supply of diagnostic and treatment-related products. The program works with local manufacturers and importers and also informs health workers regarding the appropriate use of medical knowledge and tools.

In December of 2017, USAID launched a new development impact bond for India, the Utkrisht Bond, that mobilizes private capital to make improved healthcare accessible to 600,000 women, aiming to save up to 10,000 mothers and their newborns. With private capital enabling an initial investment, USAID and Merck for Mothers will only follow up with its $4.5 million commitment after the development goals are realized, ensuring the effectiveness of aid.

Innovative, sustainable and replicable efforts such as these are consistent with USAID’s mission to help developing countries so that they eventually grow out of the need for aid. Continued assistance from the U.S. agency will ensure that millions of children around the world are given the help they need for a better future.

– Feng Ye
Photo: Flickr

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9 Facts About Humanitarian Aid That Everyone Should Know

Facts About Humanitarian Aid

Throughout the twentieth and twenty-first century, the global community has made a concentrated effort toward ending world poverty. Very often, Americans hear of the term “humanitarian aid” without a transparent knowledge of what that aid does or who and where it goes to. Below are nine interesting facts about humanitarian aid, including some of the origins of organized aid, countries and organizations that provide aid and the countries that benefit from humanitarian aid provisions.

Humanitarian Aid Facts

  1. One of the less well-known facts about humanitarian aid is that it is thought to have originated toward the tail end of the nineteenth century. The first global aid relief effort came about during the Great Northern Chinese Famine of 1876-79 that killed nearly 10 million of China’s rural population. British missionary Timothy Richard called attention to the famine and raised what is valued at $7-10 million today in an organized relief effort to end the famine.
  2. Modern western imagery of humanitarian aid came about during the 1983-1985 Ethiopian famine. BBC reporting from Michael Buerk showcased imagery of the “Biblical famine” that shocked the world.
  3. The publicity surrounding the Ethiopian famine led to a worldwide western effort to raise money and bring an end to the plight. Irish singer-songwriter Bob Geldof organized the Live Aid event that raised over €30 million and set the precedent for humanitarian aid fundraising events across the globe.
  4. Every year, the amount of humanitarian aid contributed by developed countries to places where aid is needed has increased. In 2017, the global community contributed $27.3 billion of foreign aid toward humanitarian relief efforts.
  5. According to Development Initiative, approximately 164 million individuals are in direct need of humanitarian aid. Those in the direst need of relief include the 65.6 million individuals displaced from their home countries and individuals that live in the world’s most dangerous countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.
  6. Another interesting fact about humanitarian aid is that the largest humanitarian aid organization fighting world hunger is the World Food Programme (WFP). Each year, the WFP reaches about 90 million individuals in approximately 80 countries.
  7. Humanitarian aid is also donated in large quantities toward natural disaster relief. To illustrate, Red Cross relief efforts toward the tragic 2010 earthquake in Haiti raised approximately $488 million.
  8. In 2014, United States spent about $2.7 billion of its foreign aid budget on humanitarian aid. This money is mostly used to care for refugees who have been displaced from their home countries.
  9. One of the more serious facts about humanitarian aid is that relief workers have a tough and dangerous job. In 2017, over 150 employees were attacked while trying to conduct their work. However, many would argue that the risk is worth the lives that these individuals save.

Based on these facts about humanitarian aid, it is clear that global aid is vital to creating a global community of countries that care about one another. The global aid network creates a myriad of positive outcomes in global health, development and politics, truly saving the lives of many.

– Daniel Levy

Photo: Pixabay

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Humanitarian Assistance in Venezuela: Efforts of US Leaders


Over the past few years, Venezuelan citizens have suffered at the hands of oppressive government leaders, leading to an overall failing economy. Necessities such as food and medicine have become hard to obtain for lower and middle-class citizens. As a result, there has been a growing need for humanitarian assistance in Venezuela.

According to findings by the International Monetary Fund, Venezuela’s inflation rate reached an alarming 720 percent in 2016. This substantial rise in inflation subsequently led to an even higher rate of poverty among citizens, and an even greater need for humanitarian assistance in Venezuela.

Recent statistics from the National Survey of Living Conditions showed that the average number of Venezuelans who reported eating two or fewer meals per day increased from 11.3 percent in 2015 to 32.5 percent in 2016. Likewise, the average population reported an average increase in weight loss by more than 15 pounds due to the inability to afford adequate meals each day.

In response to this prevalent issue, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) recently initiated a bill known as the “Venezuelan Humanitarian Assistance and Defense of Governance Act of 2017.” As its title suggests, one of the main goals of this bill is to provide humanitarian assistance in Venezuela. Within the bill, U.S. leaders cited that Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro “rejected repeated requests from the Venezuelan National Assembly and civil society organizations to bring humanitarian aid into the country.” The bill also aims to protect the citizens’ human rights and the concept of democracy.

A total of $10 million has been set aside for the U.S. Committee on Appropriations to effectively carry out measures proposed in the humanitarian assistance bill. Some of these measures include providing a way to ensure that food, medicine and nutritional supplements are transported and distributed to citizens in need. Funds will further be used to improve “transparency and accountability” within Venezuelan government institutions.

– Lael Pierce

Photo: Flickr

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Cutting Iraq WFP Aid

Cutting Iraq WFP Aid
The United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP) began providing food aid and humanitarian assistance to Iraq in 1991. In October 2016, 1.2 million Iraqis received food assistance from the WFP. However, a staggering 4.4 million across the nation are still in need.

Due to cuts in funding from donor states, the WFP has reduced food rations in Iraq by 50%. The move will leave 1.4 million displaced Iraqis without assistance, although the agency is negotiating on how to regain full funding from donors such as the United States, Germany and Japan.

Occupation of the region by Islamic State facilitated the destruction of massive annual barley and wheat harvests, destroying an annual one-third of the nation’s crop yields. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace also attributes increasing influxes of internally displaced persons and Syrian refugees, inefficient supply chains, lack of governing infrastructure and cash shortages to be at the root of Iraq’s food supply crisis.

Agencies active in providing assistance include Iraq’s Ministry of Displacement and Migration, United Nations organizations and the WFP. These actors constitute the foundation of social protections and safety nets for Iraqi citizens through food distribution, development and financial support.

According to an Iraq WFP aid study on social protections from the Centre for Social Protection at the Institute of Development Studies, Iraq’s Ministry of Displacement and Migration granted financial aid of 300,000 dinars (USD$255) to 9,373 families displaced among a dozen countries. This ministry also runs a “human stability” program.

Although cornucopias of vulnerable populations, an absence of adequate legal statutes and corruption are all hurdles to food assistance, there are steps that can be taken to improve Iraqi social protection systems. For example, the WFP recommends “building the capacity of social protection research, increasing the number of beneficiaries and demanding inclusion of the unemployed in social welfare systems.”

– Amber Bailey

Photo: Flickr