USAID announces $185 million in Humanitarian assistance for Somalia after re-establishing its permanent presence in Somalia

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green announced on Monday in Mogadishu that the United States is providing nearly $185 million in additional humanitarian assistance to address life-threatening food-insecurity and acute malnutrition in the Federal Republic of Somalia, and to deliver safe water and emergency health care to Somalis affected by ongoing conflict and prolonged drought.

Somalia is currently facing emergency levels of hunger: an estimated 1.7 million people require immediate food assistance.

The United States remains concerned about the ongoing humanitarian and protection crisis in Somalia. We are the largest donor of humanitarian assistance for Somalia, having provided nearly $672 million since the start of Fiscal Year 2018.

The United States encourages all donors to increase their contributions to mitigate the effects of this humanitarian crisis and to ensure resources are available both to improve day-to-day living conditions for Somalis now and build resilience in Somalia to withstand future shocks. Needs remain high, and large-scale assistance is required urgently to prevent conditions from worsening.

On June 17, 2019, the United States is reopening a permanent Mission of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in the Federal Republic of Somalia, more than 28 years after its closing on January 5, 1991.

Re-establishing a USAID Mission in Mogadishu is an important milestone in the deepening U.S. development partnership with the Somali people, made possible by the Somali Federal Government’s commitment to meaningful reform and re-engagement with the international community.

Reopening a Mission also underscores USAID’s commitment to supporting the people and Government of Somalia to maintain momentum in their Journey to Self-Reliance.

The USAID team, led by Mission Director Jeffrey Bakken, will work closely with the people and Government of Somalia to advance peace and stability, strengthen local institutions, and make basic social services more accessible, all in the service of a safer, more prosperous, and self-reliant Somalia.