The U.S. government is leading the world's humanitarian and health assistance response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are mobilizing all necessary resources to respond rapidly, both at home and abroad. As part of this comprehensive and generous U.S. response, the State Department and USAID are providing an initial investment of nearly $274 million in emergency health and humanitarian assistance to help countries in need, on top of the funding we already provide to multilateral organizations such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
This total to date includes nearly $100 million in emergency health assistance from USAID's Global Health Emergency Reserve Fund and $110 million in humanitarian assistance from USAID's International Disaster Assistance account, to be provided for up to 64 of the most at-risk countries facing the threat of this global pandemic. Through the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will receive $64 million in humanitarian assistance to help address the threats posed by COVID-19 in existing humanitarian crisis situations for some of the world's most vulnerable people.
U.S. government agencies are working together to prioritize foreign assistance based on coordination and the potential for impact. With today's new funds, the United States is providing the following specific assistance:
Africa:
- Angola: $570,000 in health assistance will help provide risk communication, water and sanitation, and infection prevention and control in key health facilities in Angola. This assistance comes on top of long-term U.S. investments in Angola including $613 million in health assistance and $1.48 billion total country investment over the past 20 years.
- Burkina Faso: Nearly $2.1 million in health and humanitarian funding will go toward risk communication, water and sanitation activities, infection prevention and control, public health messaging, and more. Over the past 20 years, the United States has invested more than $222 million in health alone and more than $2.4 billion total in Burkina Faso.
- Cameroon: $1.4 million in health assistance will help provide infection control in key health facilities, strengthen laboratories and surveillance, prepare communities, and bolster local messaging. This assistance builds upon more than $390 million in U.S. health assistance and more than $960 million total country investment over the past 20 years.
- Cote d'Ivoire: $1.6 million in health assistance to help the government prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, risk communication, infection prevention and control, and more. Over the past 20 years, the United States has invested nearly $1.2 billion in Cote d'Ivoire's health, and more than $2.1 billion in long term development and other assistance.
- Ethiopia: $1.85 million to counter COVID-19 will go toward risk communication, water and sanitation activities, infection prevention, and coordination. This assistance joins the long-term U.S. investment in Ethiopia, including nearly $4 billion in health alone and more than $13 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years.
