U.S. Announces $578m of Humanitarian Aid for the Western Hemisphere

On May 7, 2024, the United States, through the Secretary of State, Anthony J. Blinken, announced $578 million in humanitarian aid to support country partners in the Western Hemisphere.

Partner countries with the potential to benefit include Argentina, Aruba, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

According to a press release by the Office of the Spokesperson to the U.S. State Department, $459 of the $578 million is attributed in response to the needs of refugees, vulnerable migrants, and other displaced persons across the Western Hemisphere.

Some of which $376 million goes through the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and nearly $83 million through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

This brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance for the Western Hemisphere to more than $3.9 billion since fiscal year 2021, the statement reads.

However, it worthy of note, the humanitarian assistance as announced by Blinken in Guatemala is said to advances the goal of Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, catering for over 22 million people displaced across the region.

The United States also assures implementation of “rigorous safeguards” against diversion of funds and other risks through trusted organizations that will be tasked with ensuring safe delivery of funds to the displaced people in need.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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Mayowa Durosinmi is a Nigerian investigative reporter for West Africa Weekly with reports focusing on politics, human rights, security and health in West Africa and the Sahel region.

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