The people of the United States have a big heart. Time and time again, our citizens reach out, hoping to assist civilians in war zones, mothers and children suffering from famine and plague and the broken and injured in the wake of natural disasters. Our people are proud that our country sends aid around the globe to those most in need. Their ardent hope is that the large percentage of that funding reaches the people on the ground that need it the most as quickly as it is needed.
Too often, life-saving assistance can be stymied by large bureaucracies and remarkable percentages of funding can go to the salaries and overhead of big organizations. In some cases, funding finds its way to the pockets of warlords or dictators instead of to the people it is intended for. President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking to solve these problems by reforming the way the U.S. delivers aid, cutting out the middleman where it can and delivering funds as directly as possible to the organizations working among affected civilians and families on the ground.
This is why the U.S. Department of State has announced a historic $2 Billion investment in health and humanitarian assistance to faith-based and community organizations that provide global health and humanitarian assistance around the world. The new funding will be provided to an extensive network of internationally recognized and locally operating faith-based partners.
In many of the countries where the United States provides foreign assistance, faith-based healthcare providers represent 40 percent or more of all health facilities. Faith-based and community organizations are ensuring at least 80 percent of resources go toward frontline health services that reach patients and clients while streamlining overhead and management costs. This is a significant increase from the 35 percent to 40 percent of resources that went to frontline health services in historical awards from the State Department.
$1.4 billion of the funding supports the delivery of these health services through faith and community-based hospitals and clinics in more than 20 countries. Through the Faith and Community Initiative (FCI) Award to World Vision and a consortium of local faith-based implementers, the Department plans to provide up to $850 million over five years. An additional $570 million will be provided to faith-based and community hospitals and clinics directly through funding in the Memorandums of Understanding signed with country governments.
The U.S. is also announcing $538 million in humanitarian response funding – for Samaritan’s Purse and a consortium jointly led by World Vision and Compassion International. The aid is expected to reach 7 million people with critical, lifesaving assistance across 16 humanitarian crises. Over $100 million will be made immediately available to respond to natural disasters around the world while also strengthening preparedness in 23 disaster-prone countries.
Through its support of these and other faith-based, local organizations, the Trump Administration furthers its commitment to responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars and delivery of lifesaving assistance to those in need.