These cranes are offloading key supplies for the people of Yemen and will allow greater throughput of critical humanitarian assistance and goods.

Press statement by the U.S. delegation to the forty-second round of the Geneva International Discussions on the conflict in Georgia (December 12-13).

Press Statement by the U.S. Delegation on the 41st Round of Geneva International Discussions.

Special Briefing by Acting Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration Simon Henshaw, in New York City, on September 20, 2017.

The United States condemned the de facto Abkhaz authorities’ decision to drop the criminal prosecution of the suspect in the May 19, 2016, killing of Georgian citizen Giga Otkhozoria.

At the thirty-ninth round of the Geneva International Discussions on the conflict in Georgia March 28-29, the United States welcomed the continued functioning of the Gali and Ergneti Incident Prevention Response Mechanisms (IPRM), which continue to defuse tensions on the ground in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

I would like to speak with you today about trust, accountability and the steps that we, the international community, must take in order to further our efforts to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse in humanitarian operations.

Secretary Kerry on the Syria Crisis: “Today, I can say that we achieved clarity on the path forward. … If the remaining details can be completed, we believe we will be able to address the two primary challenges to the cessation of hostilities.”

Secretary Kerry: “On this World Humanitarian Day, we honor humanitarians, both those who have lost their lives in their efforts to aid and protect the most vulnerable people on earth, and those who continue to brave violence and hardship. The theme of this year’s commemoration is “One Humanity.” It asks all of us to stand …

The United States wants to reassure the people and the government of South Sudan that we are not planning, nor will plan, to target any government or military leaders; nor will we import special military equipment with the goal of destabilizing South Sudan.

The funding announced today will support the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and other international humanitarian organizations as they provide for the basic survival needs of thousands of vulnerable people. This contribution is available to help supply food, clothing, bedding, access to medical care and supplies, shelter materials, repair of key infrastructure, and …

Ambassador Power: “We are in the midst of the greatest refugee crisis since the Second World War. Just like the people at the heart of it, this crisis crosses borders, oceans, and continents.”

Ambassador Pamela Hamamoto emphasizes the importance of multi-stakeholder effort and commitment to advance the protection of migrants.

In light of recent events in Iraq, and in response to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ recent appeals for emergency needs in Fallujah, the United States is announcing an additional $20 million in humanitarian aid to UNHCR’s Iraq response. This will be part of a larger package of humanitarian assistance that will be announced …

The refugees we welcome to the United States will join previous generations who have come to this country to escape violence and persecution – threats to human life and dignity that remain all too real today. History celebrates such moments when we have overcome bias and fear, and opened our doors. Those who have walked …

Today, I’m excited that we are combining the efforts of The Future She Deserves – our Mission’s signature initiative to promote gender equality – with the Global Refugee Youth Consultation. After what you’ve gone through, many would have lost hope. But you didn’t. You engaged with peers, international organizations, and government leaders. You developed recommendations …

Wars, conflict and persecution have forced more people than at any other time since World War II to flee their homes and seek refuge and safety elsewhere. Many of them are young people and, we, the humanitarian community, haven’t done enough for them. The unique capacities of young refugees are often overlooked…their aspirations misunderstood…their needs …

The summit will convene heads of state and government who have made new and significant commitments this year to address the needs of the world’s refugees. The collective goals for the summit are to: (1) increase funding to international humanitarian organizations and UN humanitarian appeals; (2) increase opportunities for resettlement and other forms of legal …

Today the United States joins the world in honoring the courageous men and women serving in United Nations peacekeeping missions. For nearly 70 years, UN peacekeepers have come to the aid of countries torn by conflict, charged with helping create conditions for lasting peace.

“It’s imperative that the international community considers the long-term consequences of population movements from the outset of a disaster and endeavors to support host communities while protecting vulnerable persons. That’s an important objective of the United States for Istanbul.”

Happy 70th anniversary, CARE! May you continue to bring hope and make things better for many, many years to come.

Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken will announce $25 million in intended U.S. funding for the World Bank’s new financing initiative to support the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region today at World Bank headquarters in Washington, D.C.

This funding will support the work of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Program (WFP), and other international organizations in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger to provide essential protection and assistance, such as health, food, water, livelihoods, and education.

The United States joins UNHCR in calling for new ways nations, civil society, the private sector, and individuals can together address the global refugee challenge. The United States encourages other countries to consider expanding resettlement and other forms of admissions for all refugee populations, ensuring that more of those in need have the opportunity to …

U.S. government commits an additional $10 million for the UNHCR appeal for resettlement activities.

The U.S. announces $20 million to support efforts by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the International Federation of Red Cross/Red Crescent (IFRC) to respond to increased protection, shelter, and other lifesaving assistance throughout Europe, including in Greece, Western Turkey, and the Balkans.

When governments and civil society organizations come together in the interest of humanity, our protection power is immense. Together, we can work to ensure that no migrant is left to fend for him or herself in the face of crises.

“The reports of starvation coming out of Madaya and other besieged regions of Syria are horrific. The aid delivered today, while necessary, is nowhere near enough. And the UN now reports that more than 400 people in Madaya are on the brink of death and in need of immediate medical evacuation.”

We need a zero-tolerance policy toward gender-based violence against anyone — men, women, and children – and we need you to help make it happen.

“Today, there are millions of victims of conflict and natural disaster across the globe who urgently need assistance, and who are receiving that assistance from workers and volunteers who wear the Movement’s emblems. The United States has profound respect for every component of the Movement, and we are so grateful for the tireless work of …

Speaking at the International Dialogue on Migration, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Simon Henshaw highlights U.S. practices to promote successful integration of refugees into American society.

The Aloha Spirit is a mindset, a way of engagement, and I believe by embracing it, we will be more effective, make better decisions, and together, have a greater positive impacton the lives of millions of people around the world.

During their meeting, they discussed the grave humanitarian crises facing Africa and the Middle East – from Kenya to Syria to Yemen – and addressed the significant needs of refugees and other displaced and conflict-affected persons.

More than $50 million of this funding will support WFP’s distribution of monthly food parcels to the 4 million people in urgent need of food assistance within Syria.

The United States is particularly concerned about the continued catastrophe that is unfolding in Syria where nearly three-quarters of the entire country are displaced people today.

Resettlement cannot replace what refugees have lost or erase what they have endured. But it can renew hope and help restart lives.

On behalf of the United States Government, I am honored to pledge an initial $125 million towards this appeal. This matches our initial pledge for 2014.

Assistant Secretary Anne C. Richard Travels to Brussels and Geneva Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC December 5, 2014   Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration Anne C. Richard will travel to Brussels, Belgium, December 8-9, and Geneva, Switzerland, December 9-11. In Brussels, Assistant Secretary Richard will participate in the …

The United States government has confirmed a contribution of an additional US$125 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to help feed millions of Syrians in need.

Children in the region confront horrors and hardships that almost defy belief. They have been blown apart by bombs at elementary schools, sold as sex slaves and forced to fight.

Statement by Assistant Secretary Anne Richard at the 2014 UNHCR ExCom Plenary.

Assistant Secretary Anne C. Richard announced nearly $83 million in additional emergency assistance for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in South Sudan and South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda.

To help those affected by the crisis in Syria, the United States has contributed more than $2.9 billion in humanitarian assistance – the most from any single donor.

We appreciate this dialogue with African governments on how we can work together, toward a more just, prosperous, and peaceful future.

Priority issues for the U.S. delegation include the continued enhancement of protection activities, particularly efforts to prevent gender-based violence, and strengthening international humanitarian coordination in the face of multiple crises.

The agency airlifted more than 16 tons of medical supplies and emergency equipment to Monrovia, Liberia, August 24 as part of its ongoing efforts to combat the West Africa Ebola outbreak.

The United States and Britain have flown 14 humanitarian airdrops since August 7 to Yezidi refugees in the Sinjar Mountains in Iraq, a Defense Department official said August 11.

I would like to thank the Swiss government and the ICRC for organizing this third meeting of States on strengthening compliance with international humanitarian law, and for all of the work they have done over the past several years to shepherd this initiative.

Nearly 30 artists and athletes, and a host of global nonprofit groups and businesses, have joined with USAID to launch Let Girls Learn, an effort to raise awareness of the need to support all girls in their pursuit of quality education.

USAID began airlifting lifesaving relief supplies to the Central African Republic (CAR), where ongoing violence has left an estimated 2.5 million people — more than half the country’s population — in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.

Increasing resettlement of African refugees is a major priority for the Obama Administration. Last fiscal year we resettled nearly 16,000 Africans to the U.S., and this year we are looking to resettle at least 15,000.

Violence and insecurity in South Sudan have forced more than 1 million people from their homes since mid-December.

Map outline of ongoing assistance by the U.S. government and partners in Syria and Syrian refugees in surrounding countries.

The United States strongly condemns the recent attacks by armed groups in South Sudan that have purposefully targeted civilians as well as UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) sites and personnel.

The United States is deeply concerned about the Syrian government’s violent offensive on the Old City of Homs and the neighborhood of Al-Waer, and that the breakdown in negotiations on a comprehensive agreement on safe passage for those trapped in the city may be part of a concerted military strategy to intensify the regime’s onslaught …

I respectfully but strongly urge you to support full funding for the administration’s request for a new peacekeeping response mechanism and for the CIPA, CIO and IO&P accounts.

The United States reiterated our firm commitment to Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, and worked with all participants to chart a constructive path …

With this new funding, the United States humanitarian assistance is nearly $411 million dollars for Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014 to aid victims of the conflict in South Sudan, including internally displaced persons and refugees in South Sudan, as well as those South Sudanese who have fled to neighboring countries.

The United States is pleased to announce an initial contribution of $226 million toward the 2014 operations of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Vice President Biden met today with the President of the Swiss Confederation and Chairperson-in-Office for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to discuss regional and bilateral issues of concern.

Ambassador Power: Let us be clear. This is the most catastrophic humanitarian crisis any of us have seen in a generation.

The U.S. is delivering assistance to relieve the Syrian humanitarian crisis with “every means available,” according to a State Department official who outlined U.S. objectives to address the regional dilemma.

This could be a hinge-point in the tortured three years of a Syria crisis bereft of hope.

Ambassador Power: Threats and attacks against UNMISS sites, and the civilians protected therein, are unacceptable and must cease immediately.

The Security Council “must speak with a united voice demanding immediate, full humanitarian access to those in need, particularly in besieged areas and increased flows of assistance, including across borders.”

Cyber attacks, isolated ground attacks, ongoing regional conflicts and organized crime are among the major threats to the long- and short-term security of the United States and the rest of the world.

U.S. Officials preview the sequence of events and agenda for the state visit of President Hollande of France.

Thew U.S, is deeply concerned by reports of violations by both the Government of South Sudan and anti-government forces of the Cessation of Hostilities agreement that was signed in Addis Ababa on January 23.

It is significant that throughout the week, the two sides agreed to stay in the room and working with Lakhdar Brahimi to talk to each other. That is not a small thing given that this conflict is now almost three years old.

The Geneva II Conference aims to allow the Syrian people to control its future through a genuine political transition. It is of utmost importance that these goals should be reached.

The United States reaffirms its commitment to the people of CAR, many of whom are living in mortal fear of attack, and to bringing relief to the nearly 2.6 million people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.

Today, I want to share our latest thinking with respect to the role that U.S. diplomacy can play in addressing some of the most pressing foreign policy challenges that we face in an obviously extraordinarily complex, very different world from the world of the last century.

The United States is deeply concerned by renewed inter-religious violence in the Central African Republic (CAR). We condemn attacks by both anti-Balaka and Seleka groups in Bangui and the provinces.

This agreement is a critical first step toward building a lasting peace in South Sudan, but it is only the beginning of a much longer process to resolve the underlying causes of the conflict, to foster reconciliation, and to hold accountable those who committed horrific abuses against the South Sudanese people.

The opening of a process, we think, is important. I think it is also important to note that there are elements inside the regime itself and among its supporters that are anxious to find a peaceful solution.

This is a courageous vote in the interests of all the Syrian people who have suffered so horribly under the brutality of the Assad regime and a civil war without end.

Muslim and Christian leaders in the United States and Africa are searching for ways to work together to promote peace and reconciliation in the Central African Republic (CAR), a country now devastated by sectarian violence.

We will continue to stand with the people of Syria writ large, all the people, in an effort to provide them with the dignity and the new Syria which they are fighting for.

The greatest single pledge that our nations can make is to work together and commit to the hard work of diplomacy, in order to bring an end to this endless cycle of creating of refugees and of loss of life.

The United States will provide $380 million in additional U.S. humanitarian assistance to help those affected by the war in Syria.

Secretary Kerry: “The United States, together with other nations, have stepped up. And I am proud that the United States is the leading donor of humanitarian aid.”

As the country leaves behind the era of post-earthquake relief and focuses now on longer-term development, USAID is striving to build the capacity of local organizations to lead and manage development initiatives.

Today, we discussed a number of things that we think could help set the stage for success in Geneva. And success is defined by a good beginning.

A.S. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a U.S. Senate committee that the U.S, and the international community will not countenance the armed overthrow of the government of South Sudan and have called for an immediate end to hostilities.

We believe that it is possible for the [Assad] regime to put in place before Geneva a ceasefire – local ceasefires if necessary – a ceasefire with respect to Aleppo, and send the signal that they are prepared to set a different mood, a different climate, a different stage for the possibility of success in …

As violence in Syria enters its third year, the needs of its refugees, and of neighboring countries providing them refuge, are greater than ever and the United States is supporting international efforts to provide aid.

We are committed to do everything in our power to live up to our values and to meet the needs of the many Syrians in jeopardy, as well as the needs of others among the world’s most vulnerable people.

The United States announced $49.8 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help victims of conflict in South Sudan.

The United States condemns in the strongest terms the rocket attack at Camp Hurriya that has reportedly killed and injured camp residents and also injured Iraqi police officers.

Over the past twenty four hours, U.S. officials including Secretary Kerry have made calls to leaders throughout Africa and the world seeking a solution to the crisis in South Sudan.

The future of South Sudan is in jeopardy, and this moment demands urgent leadership to avoid further bloodshed and to restore stability.

This morning, the U.S. — in coordination with the U.N. and in consultation with the South Sudanese government — safely evacuated American citizens from Bor, South Sudan.

We welcomed the recent absence of violence along the administrative boundary lines but reaffirmed our view that the physical barriers installed along them negatively impact Georgia’s territorial integrity as well as the lives and livelihoods of adjacent populations, and called for these barriers to be removed.

Secretary Kerry: “We will work closely with our friends in the Philippines to rebuild this region even better and stronger and safer.”

The AFT, a new multidonor trust fund created to increase agricultural productivity and reduce poverty, recently announced the recipients of the fund’s first two project preparation grants.

The United States is deeply troubled by the recent fighting in South Sudan. We call on the country’s political leaders to refrain from any action that could escalate an already tense situation or fuel the violence.

Anne Richard: “In this plenary session, I simply want to take a few minutes to offer the perspective on IDP protection that my government brings into today’s Dialogue.”

United States Response to Questionnaire Concerning the Montreux Document on Pertinent International Legal Obligations and Good Practices for States Related to Operations of Private Military and Security Companies During Armed Conflict.   1.  Provide examples, if any, of how you have determined which services may or may not be contracted out to PMSCs.  If you …

USAID has announced the three winners of a competition seeking ways to overcome distribution and financing bottlenecks in the Kenyan cookstove sector.

USAID has launched an initiative to spur the development of promising, high-growth and financially sustainable entrepreneurial ventures that have the potential to lift less-advantaged communities out of poverty.

I thank Joint Special Representative Brahimi for his efforts to bring the regime, the opposition, and the international community together for this important meeting at an important time.

Australia and the United States are expanding cooperation in areas concerning defense and space, U.S. officials said at a November 20 press briefing after consultations with their Australian counterparts at the annual Australia-U.S. ministerial meeting.

Humanitarian efforts to help victims of Typhoon Haiyan are gaining momentum with growing international contributions and strong engagement by the Philippines government, according to a senior U.S. disaster assistance official.

The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded $14.7 million to the International Labour Organization (ILO) for two multicountry grants to reduce child labor.

The United States has increased to more than $37 million its funding for emergency relief in areas of the Philippines affected by Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda.

The assistance “will not only provide lifesaving care in the immediate aftermath of the storm, but will also help prevent illness and death from waterborne and communicable diseases,” USAID Rajiv Shah said.

Assisance includes provision of emergency shelter, food assistance, relief commodities, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) support

The support, provided at the request of the Philippines government, will initially focus on surface maritime search and rescue, medium-heavy helicopter lift support, airborne maritime SAR, fixed-wing lift support and logistics enablers, officials said.

The United States is already providing significant humanitarian assistance, and we stand ready to further assist the Government’s relief and recovery efforts. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the millions of people affected by this devastating storm.

Secretary Kerry: The United States stands ready to help, our embassies in the Philippines and Palau are in close contact with your governments, and our most heartfelt prayers are with you.

These discussions continue to serve as a valuable forum as we work to decrease tensions in the region, improve security on the ground, and address the humanitarian needs of those affected by this conflict.

By 2030, urban centers will be home to an additional 1.4 billion people, primarily in developing countries. Already, 1 billion people live in urban slums without access to basic services like water, electricity, affordable housing or health care.

Shah highlighted five technologies that have made it possible for small-scale farmers to increase their incomes and improve nutrition in their communities.

We must also be crystal clear that eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons is not a substitute for ending the civil war nor does it end the humanitarian catastrophe that continues to unfold.

Sometimes the helper needs help, as in the case of Lebanon, which has willingly provided safe haven for more than 800,000 refugees seeking to escape the violence in Syria.

The United States welcomes the establishment of the United Nations Trust Fund to support the resettlement of individuals currently residing at Camp Hurriya in Iraq.

My government believes that the only viable way to end the horrific violence in Syria is through a political transition based on the Geneva Action Group Communiqué, which calls for a transitional governing body with full executive powers, chosen by mutual consent.

The United States has contributed more than $1.3 billion to the Syrian humanitarian crisis since 2012, the leading donor in the international community.

The United States announced today it has provided an additional $11.5 million in humanitarian assistance to support protection and assistance activities for the nearly 70,000 new Central African refugees in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, Cameroon, and the Republic of the Congo and for some 30,000 new Darfur Sudanese refugees in Chad.

Bill Burns and Anne Richard will visit Geneva to participate in the UNHCR High-Level Segment on Syria on the occasion of the 64th annual UNHCR Executive Committee meeting.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is successfully completing compacts with Lesotho, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique and Tanzania in September.

For decades, the United Nations has in fact made a difference — from helping to eradicate disease, to educating children, to brokering peace. But like every generation of leaders, we face new and profound challenges, and this body continues to be tested.

President Obama announced the United States will provide $339 million in additional U.S. humanitarian aid to support those affected by the ongoing crisis in Syria.

We have supported this initiative and will continue to do so because we believe it can play an important role in improving the standards for, and conduct of, private security companies operating in complex environments.

Shah also said that university faculty, nonprofits, governments, scientists, businesses and entrepreneurs are other sources of ideas “that can transform the world.”

We have always been talking about the necessity to hold the Assad regime accountable for its possession of chemical weapons, which up until right now, but for the threat of the use of force, they have never even admitted they have. Now, they’re not only admitting they have them, but they say they’re prepared to …

“I want to take this opportunity to explain why Syria’s use of chemical weapons is a serious threat to our national security, and why it is in our national interest to undertake limited military action to deter future use.”

“We share a belief in the dignity and equality of every human being,” Obama said during a joint press briefing in Stockholm with Sweden’s prime minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt

Today’s generation of young people is the largest and most interconnected the world has ever seen, defined by energy, talent, and optimism.

Youth are a key component to solving many of the world’s most pressing global challenges …

The United States develop effective local strategies to teach reading to 100 million children by 2015, says the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development …

The U.S. urges the Government of Sudan to immediately renew the necessary work permits for twenty UNHCR international staff providing humanitarian assistance and protection to hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the conflict in Darfur.

I congratulate the people of Switzerland on your National Day this August 1, which marks the 722nd anniversary of Switzerland’s Federal Charter.

Following the destructive 2010 earthquake, the U.S. Government committed over $3.6 billion toward relief, recovery, and reconstruction, of which $2.6 billion has been disbursed as of March 31, 2013.

The Department of the Treasury took actions to reinforce long-standing U.S. government efforts to ensure that the extensive economic and financial sanctions on Iran do not impede Iran’s humanitarian imports.

We intend to have a very solid, in-depth discussion today about creative ways that we can meet our obligations to human beings who are in huge danger and distress.

Secretary of State Kerry reinforced the unwavering U.S. commitment to addressing the Syria humanitarian crisis, and heard from the leaders about the crucial work their organizations are doing to respond to the needs of the Syrian people.

As many as 120,000 civilians have fled their homes as a result of recent spikes in the ongoing battle between state and non-state armed actors and inter-communal clashes.

The U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) is teaming up with General Electric Africa to launch the Power Africa Off-Grid Energy Challenge, USADF and GE announced July 2.

The United States continues to call on all sides to focus the discussions on substance rather than format in order to make tangible improvements to the lives of those living in conflict-affected communities.

Today, the United States joins the international community in honoring the resilience, courage, and determination of refugees all over the world, and the work of many countries in providing refuge, both temporary and permanent.

The number of refugees fleeing their homes reached an almost 20-year high in 2012, according to a report on global trends issued June 19 by the UNHCR. More than 45.2 million people were displaced, the highest level since 1994.

Secretary of State Kerry announced the 2013 World Food Prize laureates, who are pioneers in plant biotechnology, saying shortages of food in the poorest regions of the world remain a staggering challenge.

During his meeting with G-8 leaders in Northern Ireland, President Obama announced over $300 million in additional life-saving humanitarian assistance to help feed, shelter, and provide medical care for children, women, and men affected by the ongoing conflict in Syria.

IOM has become a more transparent, more responsive, and more strategically structured organization under his leadership.

4th Global Review of Aid for Trade US Sponsored Side Event and Reception 11:00 – 13:00 July 9, 2013, Room D, WTO Africa Can Compete! Cases of Africa Succeeding in Global Markets   More than 40% of the world’s cashews are grown in Africa.  Yet for too long, Africa’s cashews have been exported to other …

The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the Assad regime’s assault on Qusayr, which has killed untold numbers of civilians and is causing tremendous humanitarian suffering

Secretary Kerry met in Amman with the foreign ministers of 10 countries in Europe and the Middle East to plot a common course aimed at convening an international conference in Geneva to end the war in Syria.

The new assistance builds on the significant ongoing commitment of the United States to address the crisis in Mali.

The US and Russia have announced an initiative “to bring the Syrian regime and the opposition together in an effort to try to advance a political solution under the framework agreed to in Geneva in June 2012. In our view, the resolution before you is consistent with this latest initiative.”

USAID signed an agreement with the global company Syngenta International AG that will advance U.S. efforts to fight hunger and increase food security in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Shared data acquired from publicly funded research can allow farmers around the world to produce more food, says the United States’ top agriculture official.

The U.S. government says its intelligence assessments indicate “with varying degrees of confidence” that the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad has used chemical weapons against the Syrian people.

A/S for Population, Refugees and Migration met with Civil Society Groups in Geneva. She reflected on accomplishments in her first year with PRM and highlighted priority areas to focus on in the future.

The United States pledged an additional $123 million assistance package that brings the total U.S. nonlethal assistance to the opposition and to civil society groups to $250 million since civil strife began in Syria.

President Obama: It is wonderful to have the opportunity to welcome my good friend, Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, to the Oval Office.

The Obama administration believes that the best end to the crisis in Syria will come about through a negotiated political solution between the Syrian opposition and members of the government.

President Obama has asked Congress to approve $47.8 billion to fund the U.S. Agency for International Development and other international programs for the fiscal year starting October 1

The U.S. is providing an “exceptional amount” of humanitarian aid to the Syrian people and rising levels of nonlethal assistance to the Syrian opposition.

President Obama said Jordan is an example of the benefits of peaceful reforms and told King Abdullah II that the United States will work with him and Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour as they build on Jordan’s progress.

Higher education institutions in Armenia, Paraguay, Rwanda and South Sudan will be partnering with universities in the United States to promote gender equality and women’s leadership through a new program organized by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Higher Education for Development (HED).

The U.S. is urging other donor countries to quickly honor their pledges to fund lifesaving assistance to more than 1 million Syrian refugees, says Anne Richard, assistant secretary of state for population, refugees and migration.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin says it is important for the U.S. and its allies to be realistic about the challenges in Afghanistan, but it’s also important to recognize the advances that have been made.

President Obama’s trip will take him to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan for discussions with Israel’s new government as well as to talk about Middle East peace efforts, Jordanian political reforms and the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

Worldwide, more resources than ever are being devoted to empowering and protecting women and girls, says Nancy Lindborg, assistant USAID administrator for democracy, conflict and humanitarian assistance.

The United States supports the Syrian people’s aspirations for a Syrian-led transition to a democratic, inclusive, and unified Syria.

The United States has shifted its policy toward Syria by deciding for the first time to send assistance directly to the rebels fighting to topple the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.

The United States is providing $19 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Syria. This brings the United States humanitarian assistance total in response to this crisis to nearly $385 million for populations within Syria as well as those in neighboring countries.

Aid workers are risking their lives, and doing so with international aid financed in part by the United States, to help Syrians suffering from the brutality of the Asad regime.

To Meet Immediate Needs of the Syrian People, Access is Paramount By Nancy Lindborg, Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict, & Humanitarian Assistance February 11, 2013 This blog post by Nancy Lindborg, assistant administrator for USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, was originally published in the  Huffington Post  on February 11. There are no republication restrictions …

The United States supports the Syrian people’s aspirations for a Syrian-led transition to a democratic, inclusive, and peaceful Syria.

The international humanitarian community is using every available channel to assist more than 760,000 refugees who have fled violence in their country and some 2.5 million others who remain in Syria, displaced from their homes, facing shortages and hardship wrought by the almost 2-year-old uprising.

An international pledging conference in Kuwait January 30 allowed attending nations to show “global solidarity” in support of humanitarian needs for Syrians, according to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Today, President Obama reaffirmed the United States’ continued commitment and support for the Syrian people by announcing an additional $155 million in humanitarian aid to help meet the acute needs of people inside Syria and refugees across the region who are affected by the violence in Syria

More than 650,000 Syrian refugees have fled the 2-year-old uprising in their country, traveling to neighboring Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt, according to U.N. officials.

The United States is providing an additional $10 million in humanitarian assistance in response to urgent needs resulting from the brutal conflict in Syria.

In 2012, U.S. contributions of humanitarian assistance for Syria totaled $210 million. Life-saving food, medical treatment, blankets, and essential winter supplies reached millions of vulnerable people in all 14 governorates inside Syria, as well as refugees outside the country.

These latest attacks mark a significant and alarming escalation of the conflict in Syria. All parties must stop unlawful attacks on civilians and comply with international law.

The United States was pleased to participate in the twenty-second round of the Geneva International Discussions on December 11-12, which remain a valuable framework for improving the security and humanitarian situation in Georgia.

With this new assistance, the United States is providing $210 million in humanitarian assistance to help over 1.5 million people inside Syria and the hundreds of thousands who have fled to neighboring countries.

Remarks by Deputy Assistant Secretary Dave Robinson, State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, at the UNHCR Dialogue on Protection Challenges: Faith and Protection. Robinson addressed the conference including representatives of governments, international organizations and NGOS, and indicated that the United States “seeks to mobilize a broader base of support, a wider coalition of …

The United States recognizes the vital importance of providing early and unearmarked contributions to allow UNHCR the flexibility to ensure that critical protection and assistance activities for its beneficiary populations are not interrupted. We encourage other donors to join us in providing UNHCR with strong financial support.

The Obama administration’s top envoy to Africa is working with leaders in the Great Lakes region and with French and German diplomats to push for a cease-fire in the DRC, to be followed by a longer-term resolution of the conflict in the eastern part of the country.

The world is on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, according to the U.S. anti-hunger advocacy group Bread for the World Institute.

Flowing through the World Food Programme (WFP), U.S. funds are helping to provide food aid to 1.5 million people in Syria and refugees who have fled to neighboring countries to escape the violence that began in March 2011.

Today Secretary Clinton announced that the United States is providing $30 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help those affected by the conflict in Syria.

The U.S. pledges additional funding for aid effort, urgently calls on all parties to allow aid to reach Syrians most in need.

The U.S. will providing more than $34 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help those affected by the conflict in Syria.

The humanitarian situation in Syria is dire. Significantly more than one million people are displaced and at least double that number needs humanitarian assistance.

In humanitarian situations across the world, children are likely to make up half or more of the population affected by conflicts or disasters. The Child Protection Working Group (CPWG) launched a set of interagency Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action developed as common guidelines for the global humanitarian community. U.S. Ambassador Betty E. …

On October 29, 2012, the Child Protection Working Group (CPWG) launched a long-awaited set of interagency minimum standards for child protection …

Thinking of starting an NGO? Develop a clear vision and mission, then plan, manage, recruit volunteers, board members and stakeholders, and raise funds.

George McGovern’s enduring legacy is focusing attention and resources on fighting hunger, with President John Kennedy’s new Food for Peace program, then in the creation of the U.N. World Food Program.

The United States’ global food security program Feed the Future has helped 1.8 million food producers adopt improved technologies or management practices that can lead to more resilient crops, higher yields and increased incomes, according to the program’s first progress report.

“We will continue sending our diplomats and development experts to dangerous places. The United States will not retreat. We will keep leading, and we will stay engaged in the Maghreb and everywhere in the world, including in those hard places where America’s interests and values are at stake,”

One of my goals as Assistant Secretary is to ensure that the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) practices what we call “humanitarian diplomacy.” We use this term to mean that humanitarian issues are integrated into the diplomatic discourse that State Department leaders have with other countries and international organizations, including in private meetings …

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced October 10 that the United States will join a campaign to stop child marriage by the year 2030.

After the Soviet Union was dissolved in late 1991, the United States responded to the creation of newly independent states in Europe and Central Asia with the Freedom for Russia and Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets (FREEDOM) Support Act to help them establish their economies and societies to be “free, democratic and at peace.”

The U.S. emphasizes that there is and must be a constant effort on the part of us all to better fulfill our collective responsibility to protect the world’s refugees, internally displaced persons, recent returnees, and stateless persons and to assist those who are vulnerable.

Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration Anne C. Richard will travel to Geneva October 1-4 to lead the U.S. delegation at the 63rd session of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the principal international organization concerned with the protection of refugees and stateless persons worldwide.

David Robinson gave the keynote address at a workshop hosted by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society in Geneva on September 21 to highlight the specific challenges faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) refugees.

We are extremely proud of what USAID has accomplished in Russia over the past two decades, and we will work with our partners and staff to responsibly end or transition USAID’s programs.

On September 16th, the seventh convoy of approximately 680 Camp Ashraf residents arrived safely at Camp Hurriya.

OFDA Director Bartolini says humanitarian aid is already reaching more than half a million people inside Syria, but an estimated 2.5 million are in need, and better access is needed.

US remains committed to working through international and local humanitarian partners to help alleviate the suffering of those affected by the crisis in Syria.

To help meet the growing humanitarian need, USAID 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.

Aid officials discuss U.S. engagement in the international effort to assist those affected by the violence in Syria.

Background Briefing By a Senior State Department Official, Accra, Ghana Special Briefing Senior State Department Official Accra, Ghana August 10, 2012   SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: Thanks, [Moderator]. I want to just start by setting the context for this visit. We were last in Istanbul in early June for the Global Counterterrorism Forum, on the …

Included in this voluntary contribution is more than $29 million to fund the resettlement of refugees in the United States, bringing the total support for resettlement activities to nearly $128M in this fiscal year.

Since January of this year, conflict and insecurity in Mali have generated more than 260,000 Malian refugees; an additional 155,000 Malians are estimated to be internally displaced.

Press Statement: The United States is concerned by the Government of Iraq’s reference on July 31 to the possible closure of Camp Ashraf by involuntary relocation of its residents.

PRM Assistant Secretary Anne C. Richard will travel to Burkina Faso and Geneva, July 29- August 4, 2012, with UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterres to review the situation of refugees from the crisis in Mali, which is taking place within the broader Sahel food insecurity emergency.

The United States supports the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq’s (UNAMI) “Roadmap,” which suggests remaining steps for the closure of Camp Ashraf and builds upon the work that has produced the safe relocation of almost two-thirds of the residents from Ashraf to Camp Hurriya.

“The violence is increasing; we are hearing it on an ongoing basis. The violence is more prevalent in Damascus, and this increase in violence is, of course, leading to more people, and a larger number of people, that are inside Syria and that are along Syria’s borders needing more humanitarian assistance.”

The United States is providing over $6 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Syria. This brings the total amount of U.S. assistance this year to nearly $64 million for populations within Syria as well as those in neighboring countries.

The United States is pleased to announce that it has formally nominated William Lacy Swing for a second five-year term as Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

As you’ve just heard from Special Envoy Annan, today the international community came together to endorse a plan for a democratic transition in Syria that aims to end the violence and pave the way for a post-Assad unity government.

Every year, the United States welcomes some of the world’s most vulnerable refugees. We provide protection from persecution due to race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

The United States is pleased to announce that it has formally nominated William Lacy Swing for a second five-year term as Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Now in his transition document, it is a Syrian-led transition, but we certainly believe that you have to have a transition that complies with international standards on human rights, accountable governance, the rule of law, equal opportunity for all people of Syria, and this framework lays out how to arrive at that.

IIP Photo Galleries Washington, June 18, 2012 Images of refugees who have overcome obstacles to achieve success and recognition in their new U.S. communities and beyond. View the photo gallery    

The United States is pursuing every avenue to provide humanitarian relief to those affected by the violence in Syria and is engaged in focused diplomatic efforts to secure full and unfettered access for humanitarian organizations to reach those in need.

Sixty-five years ago today, Secretary of State George C. Marshall outlined the details of a plan to assist Europe in its recovery from the ravages of the Second World War in an address at Harvard University.

United States is providing an additional $12.8 million to bolster the Syrian humanitarian response. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Kelly T. Clements confirmed this contribution at the Syria Humanitarian Forum held in Geneva on June 5, 2012.

The U.S. acknowledges the exceptional work and sacrifice of humanitarian organizations and individuals in Syria and surrounding countries. The Syria Humanitarian Forum has become an important mechanism through which we can highlight areas of particular humanitarian concern, share information among humanitarian organizations, affected countries and donors regarding both operations and contributions, and maintain and strengthen …

Four countries will be awarded the prestigious Resolve Award, announced last year by the Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health at the inaugural Geneva Policy Dialogue Series on Reproductive Health in May 2011. Join us to celebrate their progress and learn how they overcame challenges of financing, service delivery and policy to accelerate access to …

Syria’s parliamentary elections were “an illegitimate process” illegitimately timed while violence in the country continued, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said, and the United States does not consider them to be free, fair, transparent or representative of the will of the Syrian people.

The United States is pursuing every avenue to get humanitarian relief to those affected by the violence in Syria and is engaged in focused diplomatic efforts to secure full and unfettered access for humanitarian organizations to reach those in need.

Assistant Secretary Richard: Our continuing collaboration with the Afghan government, in support of returning refugees, is just one piece of the United States’ enduring partnership with Afghanistan.

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.

The United States urges the governments of Sudan and South Sudan to cease attacking each other across their undemarcated border to avert an all-out war and a looming humanitarian disaster.

” Following Under-Secretary-General Ladsous’s briefing in the open chamber, Council members continued discussions of the situation in Darfur in closed consultations.”

“I’m not prepared to predict that that will be the fate of Syria. I think what we’re dealing with, first and foremost, are a people who have been repressed, who need and deserve to choose their own future, and that’s what this is about.”

Richard’s first trip as Assistant Secretary will include a visit to Geneva to attend an important conference on Afghanistan sponsored by UNHCR.

In 2011, the worst drought in 60 years struck the Horn of Africa. The United Nations declared famine in six regions of Somalia, threatening the lives of over 250,000 Somalis, and requiring urgent humanitarian assistance for more than 13.3 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and other parts of Somalia. The international community responded and famine …

The United States has voted in favor of resolution 2043 authorizing the establishment of a UN supervision mission in Syria, but we are sober about the risks, all the more so given the Assad regime’s long record of broken promises, deceit and disregard for the most basic standards of humanity.

Like its response to political unrest in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, the Obama administration’s reaction to the violence in Syria has been based on opposition to regime violence, support for universal human rights and for reforms.

The U.S. expresses its appreciation to Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan for his dedicated work to try to stop the violence, respect the rights of the Syrian people, and begin a transition towards a stable and legitimate governance.

In 2011, the U.S. contributed more than $690 million to UNHCR through multiple tranches, a figure which included funding for on-going operations as well as special appeals for emergencies.

The United States continues to be deeply concerned by the humanitarian emergency in the Horn of Africa, and particularly the hard-hit Somali population.

The U.S. is providing an additional $12.2 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people of Syria, bringing the total amount of U.S. emergency aid to nearly $25 million.

US is providing over $12 million in humanitarian assistance through the UN and other humanitarian organizations to support the people of Syria.

With this additional $2 million, the United States is providing over $12 million in humanitarian assistance. These funds are providing emergency medical care in Syria, and the delivery of clean water, food, blankets, heaters, and hygiene kits to Syrian civilians in need.

This forum is the first in a series of planned meetings designed to coordinate the international community’s response to the humanitarian needs of the Syrian people.

Recent major emergencies such as the evacuations from Libya, the Cote d’Ivoire and Yemen – where IOM played an essential life-saving role – have highlighted the importance of rapid response and intervention.

This trip gave us the opportunity to see the dedicated work that the men and women of MINUSTAH perform under very difficult conditions.

The President’s FY 2013 Budget for the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) strengthens U.S. national security, advances America’s economic interests, and elevates America’s global leadership through diplomacy and development. It supports U.S. businesses, protects Americans at home and abroad, and stops the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It …

The United Nations declared that famine is no longer present in Somalia. This is great and welcome news to the humanitarian aid community. The newly released data shows the positive impact of the massive international effort to rush life-saving assistance to millions of people in Somalia. What we are doing is working, and it is …

The U.S. has and continues to welcome and support the peaceful temporary relocation and eventual permanent resettlement of the residents of Camp Ashraf in Iraq.

One of the issues that we are extremely concerned about is the situation in the states of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Six months after the global humanitarian community swung into crisis mode, 13 million people in drought-stricken East Africa have avoided disaster but still need emergency assistance.

Today, we have invited senior members from the State Department to provide an update on continued U.S. efforts to respond to the humanitarian crisis in the region as well as some of the ongoing security challenges that exist.

Ambassador Betty E. King’s stressed that the international community must take steps to expand and sustain the ranks of stable, prosperous and democratic states by supporting the next generation of democratic transitions in remarks at the official presentations of “Constitution-Making and Reform: Options for the process” on January 23rd at the Interpeace Partners Forum, held …

Drought has impacted more than 13 million people in the Horn of Africa. USAID continues to provide humanitarian assistance to drought-affected individuals in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Djibouti.

We just heard a very disturbing briefing from Under Secretary General Amos and High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres about the grave unfolding humanitarian crisis in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states in Sudan.

I am very pleased that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Ambassador Ertharin Cousin as the next Executive Director of the World Food Programme.

The $55 million contribution will provide critical health, education, and humanitarian services to five million Palestinian refugees in the region

We gather this week to celebrate an important milestone in the history of this organization and to look ahead to the future.

Our pledges address five themes ranging from asylum and detention, to vulnerable populations, to refugee resettlement and statelessness.

Protecting and assisting refugees is among my government’s highest humanitarian priorities, and the pledges we are making today will be an important step in helping the 12 million people who wake up every morning stateless, belonging nowhere at all, and the more than 40 million who are displaced.

During the last decade, the United States has learned important lessons, and has worked very hard to ensure that we conduct all aspects of armed conflict – in particular, detention operations – in a manner consistent not just with the applicable laws of war, but also with the Constitution and laws of the United States. …

“I want to congratulate you Mr. Prime Minister and the people of Libya for wresting control of your future from a brutal dictator and charting a path to freedom that is an inspiration to many around the world. And I want to commend you and the NTC on your commitment to reconciliation, national unity, human …

Secretary Clinton, who will visit an evacuation shelter November 17, said U.S. teams will also support Thai counterparts in the rebuilding and repair of critical infrastructure damaged by flood waters.

Celebrating the International Year for People of African Descent is especially important for Americans, as you might imagine. African Americans make up the single largest racial minority in the United States, at nearly 40 million of our citizens, and the contributions of this segment of our society are notable and many– of course we see …

Lord’s Resistance Army commander Joseph Kony has terrorized citizens of Uganda, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan for more than two decades. The LRA is believed to be responsible for the murder, rape and kidnapping of tens of thousands of men, women and children, and the International Criminal …

We know that as many as 12 million people around the world are not recognized as citizens by any state. They live in every region of the world, at the margins of the formal economy and political system, largely hidden without government recognition.

The new partnership will help fight hunger, build resilience to climate change, and reduce the costs of natural disasters, USAID said in an October 20 press release. The partnership combines the expertise of Swiss Re, a global reinsurance provider, with two initiatives of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Former presidents John Agyekum Kurfuor of Ghana and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil were jointly presented the 2011 World Food Prize October 13 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Today we remember the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization and re-commit ourselves to ending global hunger. Food security is a foreign policy priority for the United States. We must continue to find new and innovative ways to get food into the hands of more people.

We urge all of the parties to continue constructive engagement in the Geneva Discussions and the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRMs) in order to foster agreement on international security arrangements, to enhance confidence-building measures, and to promote both strengthened humanitarian initiatives and a sustainable and peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The United States’ commitment to the protection of refugees, asylum seekers, displaced populations, stateless persons, and other persons of concern to UNHCR remains strong. As we mark the 60th anniversary of UNHCR’s creation, the U.S. Government is proud of our long history of support to UNHCR as it has pursued its mandate to protect some …

The United States was pleased to participate in the seventeenth round of the Geneva Discussions. Participants continued their discussion of proposals to enhance security and transparency along the administrative boundary lines, as well as to improve the humanitarian situation for those living in and near the conflict areas.

The United States remains a committed partner with UNHCR and the beneficiaries it serves. We are providing more than $680 million dollars this year to the organization to assist its work across all four pillars defining its populations of concern – refugee assistance, refugee returns and reintegration, the internally displaced, and stateless persons.

Assistant Secretary Schwartz: “First, there is the moral imperative – the simple policy goal of saving lives. Our supporters in Congress well understand that our entire annual civilian humanitarian assistance funding is only a small fraction of the less than one percent of our federal budget that is dedicated to overseas assistance.”

The chickpea might be the key to greater agricultural production and improved food security in Ethiopia. A plan to increase chickpea production is being developed to that end by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the PepsiCo Foundation.

The campaign is designed to expand American awareness of the severity of the famine and deprivation plaguing the region, to encourage Americans to convey that message to others and to build support for the nonprofit organizations at the forefront of saving lives and easing suffering in the region.

The United States is deeply concerned about reports of arbitrary detention and abuse of sub-Saharan African migrants and refugees. We also understand that some Libyans are also being victimized based on the color of their skin.

Famine conditions are creeping across southern Somalia, reports an analysis group, with six regions of the country now affected and 750,000 people now facing “imminent starvation.”

President Obama authorized an additional $105 million for urgent humanitarian relief efforts in the Horn of Africa. U.S. assistance will continue funding the urgently needed food, health, shelter, water and sanitation assistance to those who desperately need help.

Famine has reached new areas of Somalia, according to an August 3 analysis of conditions in the region, and food insecurity in other parts of the eastern African country will likely reach famine levels within the next six weeks.

Because of the compelling humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa, including southern Somalia, the Obama administration is reassuring nongovernmental organizations and aid groups that they will not risk prosecution if their efforts to aid famine victims violate U.S. sanctions on the terrorist group al-Shabaab.

The main thing that I want you to understand is that as this crisis in the Horn of Africa, this humanitarian crisis, continues to develop, the U.S. Government approach is going to develop as well. Right now, we estimate that there are about nearly 12 million people primarily in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia in urgent …

The United States, along with so many of our international partners, remains committed to supporting the Palestinian people, including Palestinian women, in practical and effective ways.

The United States is moving aggressively, working with our partners, to provide humanitarian assistance wherever we can, based on the indication two weeks ago from Al-Shabaab for humanitarian workers to come back in.

Mr. Donilon stressed the critical role of UN agencies like the World Food Program (WFP) and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in responding to this crisis, and pledged U.S. support.

The situation is grave, over 11 million lives at risk, and in need of assistance. This is indeed a crisis situation, and one that has been exacerbated quite directly by the refusal of al-Shabaab to allow critically needed humanitarian assistance to reach over 60 percent of the people who need it most, over the course …

This crisis has resulted in severe malnutrition, acute hunger, and rising levels of starvation. It has generated extraordinary refugee flows across thousands of miles in East Africa.

The United States is also committed to preventing and responding to sexual exploitation and abuse of beneficiary populations –particularly displaced children who are at increased risk of victimization – and will continue in our programming to highlight education for refugee and other displaced children and adolescents, as a way to minimize the long-term impact of …

The United States is announcing an additional pledge of $7.5 million in humanitarian assistance for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia. With this latest funding, the U.S. is providing over $51 million in humanitarian assistance to refugees, IDPs, and other conflict-affected populations in the region.

President Obama supports U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s bid for a second term as head of the world’s largest international organization, the White House said June 7.

This $51.5 million contribution will support the voluntary return and reintegration of refugees and internally displaced persons within Iraq through activities such as home rehabilitation, repair of water and sanitation systems, employment services and Protection Assistance Centers, in collaboration with the Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration.

The United States is making available an additional $6.5 million for International Organization for Migration operations in response to the crisis in Libya, including the evacuation from Misrata.

The United States continues to partner with local and international organizations and has so far supplied $47 million in humanitarian aid for Libya, says Mark Bartolini of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The U.S. government, through the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, is pleased to highlight our recent $126.8 million contribution to UNHCR.

The capability of the international community to recognize risk, prepare for the worst and respond with efficiency are “critical to global security.” Nations also have “a moral need and a moral commitment to stand together in times of crisis,” said U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Rajiv Shah.

More than 17 tons of medicines, supplies and hygiene products landed in Tokyo April 4, headed for the quake-battered northeastern region of Japan.

The United States Agency for International Development’s Office of Food for Peace has approved a food aid contribution to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in the Central African Republic (CAR) in the amount of $6.5 million. The official handover ceremony of the donation took place in Bangui, CAR on April 5, 2011.

The United Nations has and continues to play a critical role in helping the Congolese government bring peace and stability to the country. Today’s tragedy underscores the risks that UN personnel undertake worldwide. The United States strongly supports the UN in its mission and will continue to do so in this difficult time.

More than 18,000 U.S. military personnel have delivered 240 tons of supplies to quake-stricken Japan, with 19 ships and more than 130 aircraft participating in an operation they’re calling Tomodachi, the Japanese word for “friend.”

NASA Astronaut Steven Smith visited the U.S. Mission Geneva to share his experience in space and the lessons he’s learned in his work on the international space station. He visited schools in the area and encouraged children to follow their dreams whatever obstacles they might face. Mr. Smith also spoke to an audience of scientists …

Ambassador Betty King attends Fleet Forum Conference in Geneva to underline U.S. commitment to the critical delivery of humanitarian assistance in a safe, economically efficient and environmentally responsible way.

We must do everything we can to reduce the human suffering and alleviate the pressure on Tunisia’s and Egypt’s borders. Many donors have already contributed. I urge them to contribute more. Many countries have not yet contributed. I exhort them to action, to contribute in cash or kind as generously as they can. Many countries …

In response to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the U.S. Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) that includes disaster response experts, nuclear experts, as well as urban search and rescue (USAR) teams from Fairfax County and the Los Angeles County Fire Departments. The …

Two Urban Search and Rescue Teams (LA County and Fairfax County teams) which total 144 members plus 12 search and rescue canines and up to 45 metric tons of rescue equipment are also on the ground in Misawa, Japan and began searching at first light March 14.

President Obama announced that the U.S. Government, through the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, will provide $12.6 million in emergency funds to international and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) assisting refugee and other displaced populations resulting from recent political unrest and violence in Côte d’Ivoire.

U.S. assistance teams are in the region, working with the United Nations, NGOs and other international partners to address the urgent needs of those who are fleeing as well as those remaining inside Libya. Our financial pledge to date has been $15 million.

It is appropriate to open this exhibit on the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day to honor the 10th anniversary of the passing of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. To quote from one of the quilts on exhibit here, “Women are the future of mankind.”

In support of international efforts to provide critical humanitarian aid to people fleeing the crisis in Libya, the United States is announcing today a $3 million contribution to the International Organization for Migration (IOM)

In response to the spike in global food prices in 2007-2008, President Obama pledged $3.5 billion to help poor countries fight hunger by investing in agricultural development. The U.S. Government’s Feed the Future Initiative utilizes innovation, research, and development to improve agricultural productivity, link farmers to local and regional markets, enhance nutrition, and build safety …

Ambassador King: We share UNHCR’s and IOM’s concern for refugees and third country nationals still stranded inside Libya and we urge Libyans to take all measures possible to ensure their safety and to facilitate UNHCR and IOM evacuation planning.

In the midst of ongoing violence, the humanitarian situation in Libya is growing more acute. Restricted access and limited information pose distinct challenges, but the United States is actively responding and stands prepared to assist Libya’s people through this turbulent period.

The United States is pleased to announce an initial contribution of $125 million toward the 2011 operations of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The United States strongly opposes the possible convocation of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to single out one country, Israel. The Geneva Conventions are universally respected and are indispensible to the rule of law in armed conflict. By singling out one country, such a conference risks undermining the integrity of the …

Patricia Haslach: “Our focus with Feed the Future is investing resources actually in agricultural-led development, and in Haiti’s case this is to improve the food security of the Haitian people over the long term. This is not a short-term program. This is one where we’re trying to really look to the future and commit to …

One of the most compelling stories of the year was the tragic earthquake in Haiti just about one year ago. And the international community, led by the United States, mounted an enormous, sustained recovery effort in the aftermath of the earthquake.

I was pleased to lead our delegation to the 14th round of the Geneva Discussions. One of the most important developments since the last round of the Geneva discussions was President Saakashvili’s statement on the non-use of force to the European Parliament. At the Geneva talks today we welcomed that unilateral declaration on the non-use …

I am pleased to be here today to express my government’s strong support for the 2011 Global Appeal of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. On behalf of the United States Government, I am honored to pledge an initial $125 million towards this Appeal. This matches our initial pledge for 2010. Additional contributions will …

Hunger, both at home and abroad, is not a problem of capability, or a problem of scarcity, or a problem of technological limitations. It is a problem of collective action. We have no excuse for the state of global hunger today, save the world’s unfortunate inattention to the issue. The work David has done, the …

The development agenda set by the G20 leaders at their meeting in Seoul, South Korea, November 12, calls for members to help countries reduce their dependence on foreign assistance by mobilizing foreign investment and domestic capital to foster sustained economic growth. A new fund aimed specifically at improving global food security is a tool that …

We’ve had some intensive activity in Sudan in the last 48 hours following up on work that’s been done over several months, but focused in particular on the President’s meeting with the Sudanese leaders on the margins of the UN in September. But today, or the last day or two, Senator Kerry has been in …

Our focus, as we get into what we call the “recovery phase,” which follows relief – a recovery is marked by people going home. So in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, people are going home and we’re beginning what we call recovery. And what we’re going to focus on there is three things – not completely different than …

The Obama Administration has dramatically changed our course at the United Nations. The President’s new era of engagement has led to concrete results at the UN that advance U.S. foreign policy objectives and American security.

Thank you for that warm introduction. It is great to be here at the Johns Hopkins School of International Studies with so many friends and former colleagues.

  15 September 2010 Progress Toward Millennium Development Goals Is Mixed By Christopher Connell Special Correspondent Washington — On the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the numbers tell a mixed story about the world’s progress toward eradicating poverty, enrolling all children in primary school, promoting gender equality, combating AIDS and …

I am delighted to be a part of this anniversary roundtable. The United States has been a supporter of IIHL and a participant in its events for many years and on the occasion of this anniversary, I’d like to take a moment to honor IIHL’s legacy.

The Governments of the United States and Pakistan announced on September 1 the awarding of science and technology cooperative research grants to 27 joint teams of U.S. and Pakistani researchers, funded by contributions from both governments.

Through Feed the Future, the U.S. will invest in agriculture and nutrition programs that will enable us to make a measurable difference in people’s lives, scale up examples of success, and promote sustainable solutions.

Thus far, over 60 nations have committed more than $700 million, including the $200 million I just referenced, the 150 relief and the 50 early recovery. We now calculate that the UN response plan, the initial plan of $460 million, is about two-thirds funded.

The U.S. Government has been at the forefront of that response from an international perspective. With the additional announced $50 million of flood relief support that I announced while in Pakistan, it brings our total commitment for the immediate relief and early recovery to $200 million.

The first school built under an innovative public-private partnership was opened today by the Digicel Foundation and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). École Louis de Borno in Léogâne, the town which was epicenter of the earthquake, now stands ready to welcome 600 primary students when the new school year begins on October 4th.

The United States is continuing to expand assistance and development programs in flood-stricken Pakistan, providing temporary bridges and mobilizing significant civilian and military resources to rescue victims of the flooding and deliver much-needed supplies, U.S. officials say.

The U.S. military, which provided rapid support in the earthquake’s immediate aftermath, is now supporting the reconstruction process through medical and engineering projects in a military exercise called “New Horizons.” Units from the Louisiana Army National Guard are providing humanitarian services to Haitians in an exercise that aims to continue U.S. military help for Haiti …

Two U.S. Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters arrived in Pakistan today as part of the continued U.S. humanitarian assistance to Pakistan in support of flood relief from the monsoon floods

Today, Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), joined President Obama at the White House for the President’s Town Hall with young African leaders to discuss their vision for Africa for the next 50 years.

The United States has responded immediately and generously to Pakistan’s call for assistance following the tragic and devastating floods that started on July 29. Our response has been consistent with our humanitarian values and our deep commitment to Pakistan.

Somalia is a problem that can be looked at on three different levels – a state which has imploded, which is barely functioning, which is suffering from a humanitarian crisis with tens of thousands of internally displaced people. It is also a regional problem, sending hundreds of thousands of refugees into Kenya, into Ethiopia, Djibouti, …

The U.S. government, backed by U.S. scientists and corporations, is investing money and energy into reducing global hunger and poverty on a huge scale by 2015. A State Department official overseeing the Feed the Future program, Patricia Haslach, told a congressional subcommittee July 20 that President Obama’s pledge of $3.5 billion at the G8 summit …

The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have formed a strategic partnership on international development that will see us working together to reduce poverty in developing countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

While longer-term planning is under way for Haiti’s reconstruction, an aggressive effort is being made to prepare Haitians for potentially severe tropical storms and a dangerous hurricane season, as well as the flooding and landslides that accompany them, a senior U.S. development official says.

The January 12 earthquake in Haiti changed everything for Sandy, 15, and now the relief process is changing her world again—this time for the better. After school each morning, she heads to a USAID-funded “Espace Timoun,” or child-friendly space, in Jacmel, Haiti, where children from ages 3 to 17 partake in age-appropriate activities and play …

The United States, working with its G-20 partners, has forged a strong and swift response to address global challenges.

As the international community faces difficult global challenges, we are counting on UNDP to respond to 21st century problems, including poverty, hunger, disease, conflicts, environmental degradation, and gender inequality. With Helen Clark at the helm of UNDP and as the chair of the UN Development Group, UNDP is in a unique position to make positive …

The United States is the largest single source of support for assistance to refugees and victims of conflict. It’s true financially, where we’ve provided more than $1.7 billion to refugees and conflict victims last year, including $640 million in support for UNHCR.

“The world has changed in the last decade,” Shah said, “and the development community – starting with our agency – must change as well. To get better results we have to become development entrepreneurs, and I believe our ambitious reform agenda will help us get there

A global Agency with 9,000 employees and an integral role in executing our foreign policy needs an intellectual nerve center. That’s why last month, we formed a Bureau of Policy, Planning and Learning-so we can achieve better results by becoming more evidence-based and impact-oriented.

The Refugee Act reflects the highest American values and aspirations — of compassion, generosity and leadership in serving vulnerable populations. Moreover, reliance on the support of millions of individual Americans is a fundamental component of the success that the Act has achieved.

The United States is deeply concerned and is closely monitoring developments in the Kyrgyz Republic and the affected border regions of Uzbekistan and supports international efforts to facilitate peace and order and the provision of humanitarian assistance coordinated by the United Nations and other international organizations. The United States has committed $32.267 million to programs …

It is true that women confront some of the greatest challenges around the globe and that is certainly true in Africa. But they are also the agents for change. We know that in order to be fully participatory, to ensure that women can drive the progress of their countries forward–because it is a simple fact …

With the support of Congress, $925 million dollars has been appropriated in FY 2010 to carry out education programs and assistance around the world, with a particular interest in Africa. Since the last education workshop held in 2008 in Ethiopia, great success has been made in reaching our goals and we have worked tirelessly on …

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) today announced a $10 million incentive fund to jumpstart financial services by mobile phone in Haiti and expedite the delivery of cash assistance to victims of the country’s devastating earthquake by humanitarian agencies. This initiative lays the foundation for advanced banking …

The United States has been increasing our cooperation with other countries interested in Africa; here in Geneva, it is both my desire and my privilege to make connections that will enrich some of our multilateral efforts.

The Food, Agribusiness, and Rural Markets (FARM) program is an agricultural initiative that will be implemented over five years in partnership between MAF and USAID, with a total budget of $55 million.

Hunger numbers are rising as the developing world continues to deal with the compounding effects of a global financial crisis and a global food crisis, warns the executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Josette Sheeran.

The United States is committed to working with entrepreneurs around the world, including those in Muslim-majority countries and Muslim communities. In addition to partnering with other governments and multilateral organizations, promoting entrepreneurship will require new public-private partnerships.

Each year, inadequate nutrition contributes to 3.5 million deaths among children under five. Undernutrition robs the developing world of critical human capital and capacity, and undermines other development investments in health, education, and economic growth. It also perpetuates the cycle of poverty and hunger by leading to poor health, lower levels of educational attainment, and …

Over the past three months there has been a strong outpouring of international support for Haiti. We have a lot to show for our efforts – however we know more must be done to help Haitians recover. Over 140 nations, in cooperation with the Haitian government and the UN system, have provided immediate assistance and …

Today, a core group of finance ministers from the United States, Canada, Spain and South Korea, as well as the leadership of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, met at the U.S. Department of the Treasury to announce an initial contribution of $880 million for a new fund to tackle global hunger and poverty and …

I am pleased to announce that the United States proposes to contribute $475 million toward the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program – a new fund that will reduce global hunger and poverty by increasing agriculture productivity, linking farmers to markets and improving rural infrastructure. Our commitment is key to the Administration’s efforts to enhance …

On April 21, 2010, representatives of the United States Government and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) signed a bilateral Framework for Cooperation agreement for the years 2010 and 2011, signaling their continued partnership to advance protection, assistance and durable solutions for refugees, stateless persons, and other vulnerable persons of concern.

Investment in development has never been more strategically important than it is today. Even in the midst of difficult economic times domestically, helping nations to grow and prosper is not only the moral obligation of a great nation; it is also in our national interest. The investments we make today are a bulwark against current …

The United States is pleased to announce an initial contribution of $200 million toward the 2010 operations of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The contribution will support UNHCR efforts worldwide.

Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration Eric P. Schwartz welcomed Filippo Grandi, recently appointed Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), to Washington DC on March 11, 2010, and announced that the U.S. will make an additional planned contribution of $55 million …

In response to the earthquake in Chile and a request from the Chilean government, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is sending 18 satellite phones and a technician to assist with the dire need for communications equipment.

The United States announced today that it is making an initial contribution of $40 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to support UNRWA’s regular budget and emergency programs in the West Bank and Gaza.

This morning, the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson arrived outfitted with 19 helicopters, 51 hospital beds, three operating rooms, hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per day production capability and a significant capacity to deliver disaster-relief supplies. By the end of the weekend, 9,000 to 10,000 American servicemembers will in Haiti or afloat offshore.