Uzra Zeya, Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, disclosed nearly $536 million in life-saving humanitarian assistance from the United States. This includes almost $516 million through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and close to $20 million through the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. This substantial contribution brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance in Sub-Saharan Africa to nearly $3.7 billion in Fiscal Year 2024.
The aid is slated to address critical needs for more than eight million refugees and asylum seekers, in addition to over 30 million internally displaced persons, stateless persons, and conflict-affected individuals across sub-Saharan Africa. Especially focusing on crises in areas such as the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and various other new emergency and protracted situations, the assistance aims to aid those particularly vulnerable to food insecurity and climate change. Additionally, it aims to establish durable solutions, including through voluntary returns and refugee integration.
Despite this significant contribution, the needs vastly exceed the available funding in Africa and globally. As a result, there is a fervent appeal for other donors to step forward and provide additional support to address urgent humanitarian needs.