New funding in the amount of $3 million for humanitarian assistance was announced by the Chargé d’Affaires to the Chadian Minister of Economy and Development Planning April 21. This new commitment by the United States to Chad is in response to the coronavirus pandemic and includes $1 million from USAID to prevent infections and raise community awareness of COVID-19 in the area east of Lake Chad. More than $2 million from the Department of State will protect the health of refugees and their host communities in Chad. This new assistance builds upon the foundation of nearly $2 billion in total U.S. assistance to Chad over the last 20 years, including more than $30 million in health. While this new influx of U.S. assistance is mobilized, a current USAID project that increases access to information has begun producing audio and video messages in local languages that will be disseminated through community radio programs and social media.
America funds nearly 40% of the world’s global health assistance programs, adding up to $140 billion in investments in the past 20 years – five times more than the next largest donor. Since 2009, American taxpayers have generously funded more than $100 billion in health assistance and nearly $70 billion in humanitarian assistance globally.
Addressing hunger and food insecurity, the United States contributes generously to the World Food Program, to which the U.S. gave $65 million in Chad alone last year, while contributing $3.4 billion globally, or 42% of its total budget. That’s nearly four times the second-largest contributor, and more than all other member states combined. We also gave more than $700 million to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), more than any other donor.