United States announces increased assistance for the people of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras
Yesterday, Vice President Harris announced that the United States is providing $310 million in increased assistance to the Northern Triangle, including $255 million in assistance to meet immediate and urgent humanitarian needs for people in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, refugees, other displaced people, and vulnerable migrants in the region. The assistance includes approximately $104 million from the Department of State, $125 million provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and $26 million through the Department of Defense.
In the last year, the number of people requiring humanitarian aid in these countries has increased more than 75 percent. Now, because of the impacts of COVID-19, consecutive years of drought, severe food insecurity, continued high levels of violence and persecution, and back-to-back hurricanes last November, more than ten million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.
This new funding from USAID will provide critical relief to meet the deepening and compounding needs. This assistance includes:
- Nearly $54 million in Guatemala for emergency food assistance, economic recovery programs to help people rebuild their livelihoods, training for families to promote healthy infant and young child feeding practices, screening for malnutrition, handwashing campaigns and hygiene supplies to help keep people healthy and reduce the spread of disease, protection for the most vulnerable, and support to smallholder farmers—including seeds, fertilizer, poultry, livestock feed, access to veterinary services, and training to build resilience to future climate shocks.
- Nearly $55 million in Honduras for food assistance during the upcoming lean season, support for families to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of their food sources through climate-smart farming practices and diversification of crops, training to help families increase egg production in chickens to provide nutritious food and generate additional income, protection for the most vulnerable, and programs to help communities become better prepared for future disasters.
- More than $16 million in El Salvador for emergency food assistance, protection for the most vulnerable, and support to help people get back on their feet through distributing seeds and tools and improving community gardens and pastures.
The United States is the single largest humanitarian donor in these countries, and remain committed to supporting the people of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, as well as other vulnerable and displaced people in the region. The U.S. also encourages other donors to contribute to the response efforts.
This support adds to robust, long-term programs to address the root causes of irregular migration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras by enhancing economic opportunities, strengthening governance and security, supporting human rights, and building greater resilience to climate change.
For the latest updates on USAID support for the development and humanitarian response in these three countries, visit: Generating Hope: USAID in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras