U.S. Department of State

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with Jordanian King Abdullah II in New York, New York on September 26, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah announces additional humanitarian aid in response to violence in Syria while visiting a refugee camp in Amman, Jordan on September 5, 2012. [Go to http://video.state.gov for more video and text transcript.]

State Department Welcomes 2012 TechWomen to San Francisco

Sanae Baatti, a Moroccan mentee, and Taghrid Samak, an American mentor, participate in TechWomen 2012, an international exchange that leverages technology as a means to empower women and girls, in San Francisco, California, September 5, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

About the Author: Lee Satterfield serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional and Cultural Exchanges in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Yesterday, the 2012 class of TechWomen arrived in San Francisco to participate in an international exchange that leverages technology as a means to empower women and girls from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Tunisia and Yemen. Forty-one female emerging leaders in the technology field from the Middle East and North Africa will be paired with American counterparts for a five-week mentoring program. Click here to learn more.

Launched by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2011, TechWomen builds on her vision of “smart power.” It embraces the full range of diplomatic tools, in this case technology, to bring people together for greater understanding and to empower women and… more »

USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah announces additional humanitarian aid in response to violence in Syria while visiting a refugee camp in Amman, Jordan on September 5, 2012. [Go to http://video.state.gov for more video and text transcript.]

Additional Humanitarian Assistance in Response to Violence in Syria

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
September 5, 2012

The United States remains deeply concerned by the humanitarian crisis caused by violence in Syria. Over 100,000 refugees have flooded into neighboring countries in the month of August, stretching host country capacity. We commend the generosity of Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq in assisting approximately 240,000 Syrians who have fled.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has stated that as many as 2.5 million people in Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance, more than double the number that was assessed in March 2012, and over 1.2 million people have been internally displaced.

To help meet the growing humanitarian need, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah announced today in Jordan that the United States is providing an additional $21 million to the U.N. World Food Program (WFP). Of this new funding, $14.3 million will provide food assistance to conflict-affected people inside Syria and $6.7 million to support Syrians displaced to neighboring countries.

With this new assistance, the United States is providing a total of more than $100 million for humanitarian activities both inside Syria and in neighboring countries: MORE

A Note on U.S. Humanitarian Aid Reaching Syria and Neighboring Countries

In this picture taken during a UN observer-organized tour, a Syrian man rides his bicycle as he passes destroyed buildings in the Baba Amr neighborhood during the UN observers' visit to Homs city, central Syria, on May 3, 2012. [AP File Photo]

About the Author: Robert S. Ford serves as U.S. Ambassador to Syria.

During my tenure in Syria, my main focus was strengthening the relationship between the American and Syrian people. During this difficult, violent, and dangerous time in Syria’s history, the American people are proud to support your transition to democracy, an ongoing process which we began a mere 236 years ago.

Through the U.S. government, they have also provided over $52 million to humanitarian assistance efforts for Syrian people suffering from the ongoing violence inside Syria and for those who have fled the violence and are now in neighboring countries. I know that this assistance does not meet all the needs for those who are suffering, but we will continue to provide assistance throughout this difficult period to as many Syrians in need as possible.

Here is the breakdown of the humanitarian aid:

- $16.5 million to the World Food Program… more »

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on June 11, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on June 11, 2012. A text transcript can be found at http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/06/192149.htm.

Why We Should Open SESAME

An object of the exhibition,

About the Author: Ambassador David T. Killion serves as U.S. Permanent Representative to UNESCO.

Next week I am going to a meeting in Switzerland for SESAME, which I happen to think is the most exciting and revolutionary scientific undertaking that practically nobody outside of the scientific community has ever heard of.

What is it and why do I think it is so radical and so important?

The first question is easy.

SESAME actually stands for ‘Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East’ and will be the region’s first major multi-country scientific research center. It’s being developed under the auspices of UNESCO and is scheduled to open fully in Jordan in 2015. When it is completed, SESAME will be the Middle East’s only source of so-called “high intensity synchrotron X-rays,” key building blocks for research into biology,… more »

Assistant Secretary Anne C. Richard Traveling to Switzerland, Iraq, and Jordan

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
April 30, 2012

Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) Anne C. Richard will travel to Switzerland, Iraq, and Jordan from May 1 – 10, 2012.

In Geneva, Assistant Secretary Richard will lead the U.S. delegation at the International Conference on the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees to support voluntary repatriation, sustainable reintegration and assistance to host countries. Through a unique quadripartite consultative process, the Islamic Republics of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan and UNHCR have agreed on a multi-year regional strategy to address assistance to Afghan refugees and returnees, including nearly three million Afghan refugees who continue to be generously hosted by Pakistan and Iran and those Afghan refugees who choose to voluntarily return to Afghanistan. Assistant Secretary Richard will also meet with officials of various international humanitarian organizations to discuss relevant humanitarian issues.

In Iraq, Assistant Secretary Richard will meet with Iraqi officials and representatives from international organizations and non-governmental organizations responsible for assisting internally displaced Iraqis and Iraqi returnees.

In Jordan, Assistant Secretary Richard will meet with Government of Jordan, international and non-governmental officials to discuss policy and program issues regarding displaced Syrians in Jordan, and Iraqi and Palestinian refugees. She will also preside over the ground-breaking for a new school for Palestinian refugees.

For more information, please contact Deborah Sisbarro at 202-453-9339, or PRM-Press-DL@state.gov.