The United States continues to lead the world in the fight against COVID-19, with $20.5 billion now allocated from across the U.S. Government to benefit the global response. This incredible effort, made possible by the generous American taxpayers, includes funding for vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics; preparedness efforts; and State Department and USAID foreign assistance funding.
I am pleased to announce nearly $53 million in new State Department and USAID humanitarian and economic assistance to help vulnerable people and partner countries alike continue to fight COVID-19 across the globe. This new funding brings funding from the State Department and USAID alone to more than $1.6 billion, further cementing U.S. leadership in the global response to the pandemic.
Of this new assistance, nearly $33 million in humanitarian assistance will enhance the ability of our international and non-governmental organization partners to provide water, sanitation and hygiene supplies, enhance livelihood support, and increase access to protection, health services, and information for refugees, internally displaced persons, conflict victims, and host communities. With this new humanitarian funding, the Department has fully committed the $350 million in Migration and Refugee Assistance funds appropriated by Congress for the international COVID-19 response.
This announcement also includes $20 million in economic assistance that will enable partner countries in Asia, Africa, and beyond to address some of the second order effects of the pandemic on a variety of sectors, including democracy, human rights, trade, and agriculture.
In addition to direct U.S. government funding, American private businesses, non-profits, charitable and faith-based organizations, and individuals have now provided more than $4.9 billion in donations and assistance globally for the COVID-19 response. Continued U.S. efforts in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic build upon decades of American foreign assistance leadership. Our investments in health and humanitarian assistance over the past 20 years total in excess of $140 billion, more than any other nation.
