Policy Updates

On April 3, 2024, due to deepening humanitarian needs in Lebanon, USAID announced an additional US$67 million in assistance to the people of Lebanon and Syrian refugees in the region.

The resources are slated to provide food, WASH, health care, and psychosocial and humanitarian support.

The ongoing humanitarian crises in the region have been exacerbated by the conflict in Gaza, which has internally displaced 91,000 Lebanese people. Food assistance will be delivered through the WFP. Health services will be provided through International Medical Corps and Relief International.

USAID, which already has provided over US$202 million in food assistance in FYs 2022 and 2023, called upon other donors to help meet the needs of the most vulnerable as demand outpaces resources.

On March 25, 2024, amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Sudan, Open Canada is criticized the government of Canada for its inaction to address the public health and nutrition crisis, as well as the government’s lack of focus on the African continent as a whole.

The humanitarian crisis in Sudan followed the outbreak of war in April 2023, with 8 million people displaced, roughly half the population (approximately 25 million people) in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, a cholera outbreak, and a widespread famine predicted by June 2024.

Open Canada criticized the government for its passivity in the crisis, with neither Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nor Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly having spoken publicly about Sudan since shortly after the outbreak of war. While Canada evacuated its Sudanese embassy in April 2023, it did not follow other donor countries in maintaining the presence of a senior official in the region to assist in conflict resolution or support key international humanitarian and development organizations. Open Canada also noted that, unlike the EU, UK, and US, Canada has not imposed sanctions on Sudan.

The group also criticized Canada's apathetic approach to the region more broadly. Canada announced a new Foreign Policy Engagement Plan for Africa in 2022, however, the strategy has since been transitioned into a “framework” with the Canadian government yet to release any details of the plan. Open Canada called on the Canadian government to implement a proper engagement strategy in Africa, particularly amid the growing humanitarian, development, and security crisis in Sudan.

On March 22, 2024, the US foreign assistance budget for FY2024, which should have been passed before October 1, 2023, finally cleared the Congress and was signed by US President Joe Biden as part of a six-part appropriations package that required strong Democratic support in the US House to pass.

Foreign assistance funding saw an overall 6% cut to funding across various funding lines.

Humanitarian funding through USAID increased by US$800 million. PEPFAR's funding remained level and also received one-year authorization, which global health advocates had strongly pushed for. Other global health programs saw level funding, and Gavi received a US$10 million increase.

Other development accounts, such as programs for WASH, democracy, and education were cut. Global heath security saw a decrease of US$200 million. The World Bank's IDA allocation was cut by US$50 million. UNRWA, the Palestinian refugee agency, was reduced to zero.

The boost to humanitarian and refugee support seen in the US in 2023 came at the cost of developmental programs. Advocates criticized that with this, the US is funding the shorter term at the cost of solving longer-term problems. Given acute global needs and crises, development experts expressed concern about the trade-offs that will be necessary with the new development budget cuts.

On March 15, 2024, USAID Administrator Samatha Power announced that the US will provide an additional US$25 million in humanitarian assistance to Haiti.

The funds are in addition to the US$33 million announced by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on March 11, 2024.

Noting the recent violence and the deepening humanitarian crisis, which has now displaced 362,000 people, Power stated that 5.5 million people need immediate help with food, water, healthcare, and hygiene. The US, through its embassy and mission, is slated to provide essential services and supplies as well as services to protect the most vulnerable populations.

These additional resources build upon the US$146 million that the US has provided to Haiti since October 2022, making the US the largest humanitarian donor to Haiti. The US urged all humanitarian donors to scale up assistance, which the UN estimates is funded at less than 7% of the need.

Samantha Power, Administrator of USAID, announced an additional US$53 million in emergency assistance to the people of Gaza and the West Bank. Power made the announcement while traveling to the region. A few days later, on March 1, 2024, President Biden announced that some assistance will be airdropped to Gaza, in light of the deadly confrontation around humanitarian assistance in Gaza City. The first of the airdops began the next day, with assurances that more would follow.

As announced by Power, the assistance will flow through the World Food Program as well as international humanitarian organizations. They will provide food, shelter, water, nutrition and health services, and protection to meet the dire needs of the populations in Gaza and the West Bank. Of particular concern are severe water shortages, prevention of the spread of infectious disease, support to field hospitals, and the provision of food aid.

This latest infusion of assistance brings the total of US assistance to the conflict region to US$1880 million.

On February 26, 2024, during the Conference of Government of the CARICOM, the US announced US$16 million for climate and biodiversity threats to the region.

The announcement brought the total of USAID funding to the CARICOM region to US$43 million.

The support is part of US President Joe Biden's PREPARE program, in partnership with the US - Caribbean PACC 2030.

The funding will be directed to addressing threats to marine biodiversity on the coasts of the Caribbean, building climate resilience and increasing climate investments, and addressing water security threats in Haiti.

On January 29, 2024, USAID announced that, as part of the US' global water strategy, USAID will be expanding assistance to Mozambique to provide WASH services to approximately 325,000 people and 90 schools and clinics.

It is estimated that only 65% of people in Mozambique have access to safe and clean water, and that only 38% have access to basic sanitation services. USAID is slated to work with the government of Mozambique on a variety of investments to strengthen its services and institutions. These efforts are estimated to mobilize up to US$21 million in private sector funding.

On January 27, 2024, it was announced that the UK has joined the US and other nations in freezing its funding for the UNRWA for Palestinians in the Near East in light of allegations that 12 UNRWA staff took part in the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel.

The UK government noted that while it remains committed to getting vital humanitarian aid to people in Gaza, it was temporarily pausing future funding while the allegations are reviewed. The UK was the third-largest donor to UNRWA in 2020, but its funding fell sharply in 2021 and 2022. No recorded funding was delivered in 2023.

Assistance workers and Palestinian advocates have stated that freezing funding could have dire impact on humanitarian relief to Gaza.

On December 5, 2023, USAID Administrator Samatha Power announced during a visit to Egypt that USAID will provide an additional US$21 million in humanitarian assistance to the people in Gaza and the West Bank.

The assistance, which is being delivered during the ongoing conflict, is in addition to the US$100 million announced by US President Joe Biden on October 18, 2023.

The assistance is slated to address shelter, food, and hygiene concerns, as well as support psychosocial and other critical health care. It will also facilitate the creation of a field hospital in Gaza to help provide necessary care at a time when 60% of Gazan hospitals are not open.

On November 6, 2023, US President Joe Biden announced that the US will provide an additional US$485 in humanitarian assistance to the Western Hemisphere, primarily to those affected by a regional crisis in Venezuela.

The pledge was made as part of the first Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Summit.

The assistance, provided through both USAID and the State Department, will include health services, nutrition, and WASH services, as well as protective services.