US Pledges $2.5 Billion In Food Security Assistance To Africa

Thursday at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, President Joe Biden announced an additional $2.5 billion in emergency aid and medium to long-term food security assistance for resilient African food systems and supply markets.

President Biden also launched a new strategic partnership on food security between the United States and the African Union.

Biden said his administration remains committed to responding to humanitarian needs and providing lifesaving assistance in response to the historic food security crisis in Africa, while also investing in medium- and long-term resilient food systems and supply markets.

Through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Administration will provide an additional $2 billion in urgently needed humanitarian assistance – including food, water, shelter, emergency healthcare, sanitation and hygiene, humanitarian protection, and critical nutrition services – to help the people of African nations impacted by disasters and ongoing protracted humanitarian crises.

By the end of 2023, the U.S. Peace Corps will send more than 700 Volunteers to 20 sub-Saharan African nations, including seven Feed the Future Target countries, to work on food security and nutrition.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration is establishing a new Special Presidential Representative for U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit Implementation to coordinate implementation efforts.

The Department of State will appoint Ambassador Johnnie Carson to this role. Ambassador Carson dedicated his 37-year career to African diplomacy, serving as the former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and Ambassador to Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Earlier in his career, he also served in Botswana, Mozambique, and Nigeria, and was a Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania. 
 
Ambassador Carson will coordinate with U.S. and African government, civil society, private sector, and diaspora representatives to ensure that the important dialogues that began during the Summit lead to durable action. He will also work with a wide range of stakeholders to explore mechanisms for future high-level engagement. We are looking forward to bringing him on board.

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