The United States has a long history of extending
a helping hand to those people overseas struggling to
make a better life, recover from a disaster or striving
to live in a free and democratic country. It is this
caring that stands as a hallmark of the United States
around the world and shows the world our true character
as a nation.
U.S. foreign assistance has always had the twofold purpose
of furthering America's foreign policy interests in
expanding democracy and free markets while improving
the lives of the citizens of the developing world. Spending
less than one-half of 1 percent of the federal budget,
USAID works around the world to achieve these goals.
USAID's history goes back to the Marshall Plan reconstruction
of Europe after World War Two and the Truman Administration's
Point Four Program. In 1961, the Foreign Assistance
Act was signed into law and USAID was created by executive
order. Since that time, USAID has been the principal
U.S. agency to extend assistance to countries recovering
from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging
in democratic reforms.
USAID is an independent federal government agency that
receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary
of State. Our work supports long-term and equitable
economic growth and advances U.S. foreign policy objectives
by supporting economic growth, agriculture and trade;
global health; and democracy, conflict prevention and
humanitarian assistance. We provide assistance in four
regions of the world, Sub-Saharan Africa; Asia and the
Near East; Latin America and the Caribbean; and Europe
and Eurasia.
With headquarters in Washington, D.C., USAID's strength
is its field offices around the world. We work in close
partnership with private voluntary organizations, indigenous
organizations, universities, American businesses, international
agencies, other governments, and other U.S. government
agencies. USAID has working relationships with more
than 3,500 American companies and over 300 U.S.-based
private voluntary organizations. |