U.S. Announces $329M in Additional Emergency Aid to Help People Facing Famine

One of the tragedies in the world that is receiving little attention in the news, primarily due to the scripted theatrics by many media companies on the POTUS, is the growing threat of famine in several conflict zones, particularly Yemen and South Sudan and to an extent Nigeria and Somalia. With this additional pledge of hundreds of millions of dollars, our government IMO is doing its part to demonstrate that Americans do care about the suffering in our world of our fellow human beings at their most vulnerable, and that like minded individuals are in charge to reflect these concerns through the aid we provide. Over one billion dollars year to date! I don't want to hear people say we do not contribute to helping those in the world, clearly we still do. It just so happens charitable acts like this are not worth the ratings to cover on prime time, so we have to dig for the good stuff.

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
USAID Press Office
Telephone: +1.202.712.4320 | Email: [email protected]

Today the United States announced more than $329 million in additional humanitarian assistance to provide urgently needed aid to the millions of people affected by food insecurity and violence in South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia, and Yemen. This additional funding brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance for these four crises to nearly $1.2 billion since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2017.
We will continue to work with our international and local partners to provide the life-saving aid needed to avert famine and to support surrounding countries that have been impacted by these crises. We commend the generosity of neighboring countries to receive refugees fleeing these crises, and urge other humanitarian donors to increase their level of support during this critical time of need.

Lets do our best!

It's a damn shame that famines even exist. Earth has more than enough resources to cover everyone many times over but greed gets in the way of that, just look at the amount of waste we produce, companies would rather throw food away than to give it to those in need. It's sickening what society has turned into in my opinion.

Glad to hear this is happening though. S&F

Okay.. here is the problem I see with the Donald Trumper and the right wing agenda.. no consistency here..

Your post started off all pro-Trump..

Yet, Trump is all "America First".. "Stop giving humanitarian aid and use the money on use since our debt is... craaazzy"

Yet youre here ccelebrating a 329M increase in foreign aid.

Pick one...

Either youre a humanitarian who celebrates this $329m increase and you are anti-Trump... or you are pro-Trump and against this increase.

You cant be both. They contradict.

Now to stay on topic with the article. I will say I agree. This news is under-reported, and it is a big deal. I celebrate the increase, and I believe this is an excellent cause to put our $$ towards.

And as I logged into ATS this evening what advert greeted me? "Feed America" oh the irony

Majority of the bright spots are

A) Islamic held #holes

B) Have ridiculous birthrates

C) Both of the above

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

You are 100% correct, the only reason some people go with out the basics is because some one wants it that way.

originally posted by: Lucidparadox
Okay.. here is the problem I see with the Donald Trumper and the right wing agenda.. no consistency here..

Your post started off all pro-Trump..

Yet, Trump is all "America First".. "Stop giving humanitarian aid and use the money on use since our debt is... craaazzy"

Yet youre here ccelebrating a 329M increase in foreign aid.

Pick one...

Either youre a humanitarian who celebrates this $329m increase and you are anti-Trump... or you are pro-Trump and against this increase.

You cant be both. They contradict.

Now to stay on topic with the article. I will say I agree. This news is under-reported, and it is a big deal. I celebrate the increase, and I believe this is an excellent cause to put our $$ towards.

I have never heard anyone say that America First means a complete stop to all foreign aid?
Being more selective with aid and placing it where it is truly needed seems sensible. I also agree with the $billions being slated for Syria.

It sucks what is happening in that part of the world but I could argue we have some our famines here within our own border we need to be addressing with that $329 million.

I have no problem helping these countries, but I believe the general public should be doing it through voluntary charity if they think it is so important.

We need to significantly reduce our budget and expenditures and focus on America first. America is the cobbler making shoes for everyone else but his own children go barefoot.

Aid seems fine if it is really going to where they say it is. Usually it seems only a very small percentage ever makes it to the intended people, if at all. Didn't the CF jack tons of charity money? Hopefully once the money is delivered, we do not see new ISIS videos showing off 319mil in new toys.

originally posted by: Lucidparadox
Okay.. here is the problem I see with the Donald Trumper and the right wing agenda.. no consistency here..

The real problem is that you subscribe to identity politics and you think the right is inherently immoral. Conservatives actually care more in many cases. But just chose to offer personal aid rather than relying on a corrupt broken system to take care of the needy. Where as the left is content with throwing money in a huge pot and assuming it gets to it's intended recipients.

America has thrown trillions of dollars at poverty and starvation here at home and abroad with minimal results. Conservatives are just sick of seeing people suffer and demand the funds to be allocated better.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

And here I thought this story was going to be about Newark New Jersey! When are we going to put America first!!!!

originally posted by: JAY1980

originally posted by: Lucidparadox
Okay.. here is the problem I see with the Donald Trumper and the right wing agenda.. no consistency here..

The real problem is that you subscribe to identity politics and you think the right is inherently immoral. Conservatives actually care more in many cases. But just chose to offer personal aid rather than relying on a corrupt broken system to take care of the needy. Where as the left is content with throwing money in a huge pot and assuming it gets to it's intended recipients.

America has thrown trillions of dollars at poverty and starvation here at home and abroad with minimal results. Conservatives are just sick of seeing people suffer and demand the funds to be allocated better.

If there were any shred of truth to what you are saying then why are Christians, conservatives, and right wingers okay with American adventurism, empire building, and endless oversea wars with no purpose?

a reply to: UKTruth

Read the person who posted immediately after you.. thats exactly how right wingers are around here

originally posted by: iTruthSeeker
Aid seems fine if it is really going to where they say it is. Usually it seems only a very small percentage ever makes it to the intended people, if at all. Didn't the CF jack tons of charity money? Hopefully once the money is delivered, we do not see new ISIS videos showing off 319mil in new toys.

The aid never makes it to the people who really need it. The warlords, despots, and bureaucrats siphon it all off. We've been sending billions to these countries for decades and nothing has changed.

The reality is that money won't fix the problem. It may feed some kids today, but there will be plenty more starving tomorrow. The issue is because these societies have failed politically and culturally.

As others have posted, it seems rare that this money actually makes it to the people who need it.

But what if it did? What if these people were fed and happy for 1 full year. Then what? Have they learned to support themselves? Do they live on land that will even support that amount of people? Why do they have famine to begin with?

I would bet that throwing money at this situation is the worst thing we could possibly do.

I have been vocal about foreign military aide, not humanitarian. Heck cutting military aide will probably reduce a lot of these issues in the areas highlighted.
In regards to why the four named specific countries are having issues with famine, it falls back to war. Yemen is suffering famine because of a two year bombardment campaign by Saudi Arabia which has crippled its infrastructure and prevented to delivery of aid to begin with. Somalia has been in a state of disarray after the popular movement that liberated most of the country in 2006 and brought back essential social services, tax collection, reopened several sea and airports, and even curbed piracy significantly was overthrown by their Christian neighbors in Ethiopia after only six months in power with the help of the African Union under the pre-text of War on Terror and a heftly military aide package to the participating states from the Pentagon.

Nigeria seems to be suffering mostly in the oil delta region which is having troubles with Islamic radical terrorists/separatists?? South Sudan has been suffering from the competing interests of radical organizations, including one which was actually effectively destroyed last month, and some of the corporate powers who back specific groups. South Sudan was split off as an effort to make it legally easier to allow foreign interests to tap their oil.

So the truth is, much of the problems faced by these specific targeted populations for humanitarian aide is actually due to outside meddling. Somalia got its # together for six months in 2006, and was destroyed by foreign invasions backed by Western money even after reaching out to the international community and seeking sincere dialogue and cooperation.

Yemen has historically suffered from poverty anyways due to very corrupt governance as a Saudi Kingdom vassal state. When the citizens decided to change that by backing a new group, the Saudis took the opportunity to spend US/UK/French ordinance on their infrastructure as well, even disrupting the delivery of basic supplies like baby formula and medicine. Nearly 200 have died of cholera this year.


The main theme these areas have in common is that foreign interests continue to exploit internal differences to maintain instability, making it easier for the corporatists to plunder resources through back channels for low monetary cost, but very high human toll.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

Wow, that was an intelligent and beautiful response.

So one of the main culprits is Saudi in this whole ordeal? I guess Yemen will be joining their ranks shortly, if they are not there already.

Didn't we just sell Saudi a whole bunch of weapons? The deep state lives on I guess.

Thank you for the education.

originally posted by: Lucidparadox
a reply to: UKTruth

Read the person who posted immediately after you.. thats exactly how right wingers are around here

Hmm, I am not so sure that is right wing position. Most on the right, the far right at least, don't actually want aid for their own people. America first is more of a trade and jobs position, I believe.