Dr. Rajiv Shah
Dr. Raj Shah was sworn in as the 16th Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on December 31, 2009. USAID, a U.S. Government agency, has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for almost 50 years.
Posts by Dr. Rajiv
Open for Questions: Crisis in the Horn of Africa
Over the past several months, the worst humanitarian crisis in the world has placed more than 13.3 million people across the Horn of Africa at risk – a greater number than the populations of New York and Los Angeles combined. Quickly becoming incomprehensible, the emergency has its roots in a devastating combination of famine, war and drought.
Last month, I announced the FWD campaign to raise awareness across America about this worsening situation.
Please join us this Wednesday, October 26th, at 12:30 p.m. EDT to learn about the steps we have taken to build this campaign by informing and engaging our friends and family in order to harness the compassion and generosity of the American people.
In a special “Open for Questions” event, Gayle Smith, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of the National Security Council, and I will take your questions during a live streamed event moderated by Jon Carson, Director of the Office of Public Engagement. Whether you are wondering about the famine, the global response to the crisis, or what you can do to help, we will be there to answer your questions.
We will also be releasing special public service announcements on the crisis from some familiar faces. You can submit your questions now through Facebook and Twitter, and during the live event:
Right now, submit your questions:
- On Facebook, ask a question on the USAID Facebook page or on the White House Facebook page
- On Twitter, send questions to me @RajShah or @USAID
Wednesday, October 26th at 12:30 p.m. EDT, we hope you’ll watch and participate:
- Watch live on WhiteHouse.gov/live or USAID.gov
- Ask questions through the White House Live app on Facebook
- Ask questions live with the hashtag #AskFWD
We know that these types of crises are preventable. Through Feed the Future, the U.S. Government is working with partner governments, smallholder farmers, and the private sector to help nations invest in agricultural development to avoid repeating this situation.
The engagement and generosity of the American people have always been a critical part of efforts to combat these kinds of tragedies. However, this crisis – slow in coming – has taken place under the radar of many Americans. Despite the magnitude of the crisis in the Horn of Africa, over half of the general public say that they have not seen, heard, or read anything about the drought and famine occurring in the Horn of Africa.
It is up to us to change that.
Raj Shah is the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Filed under: Campaigns, Communications
Tags: crisis, Dr. Jill Biden, Dr. Shah, FWD, Horn of Africa, USAID
FWD the Facts about Famine, War, and Drought in the Horn of Africa
This blog was originally posted on USAID’s IMPACTblog.
As many of you know, the worst drought in 60 years has devastated communities throughout the Horn of Africa, leaving more than 13 million people in a state of crisis—greater than the population of Los Angeles and New York combined.
In Somalia—where twenty years of war and violence has limited humanitarian access and destroyed the country’s ability to respond—the drought has led to an outbreak of famine. According to UNICEF, as a result of this crisis, a child is dying in Somalia every six minutes.
The millions suffering from the effects of this crisis are facing incomprehensible suffering. Left with nothing, many are walking more than 100 miles toward refugee camps in Kenya and Ethiopia.
Because the crisis in the Horn is so complex and because the scale is so difficult to comprehend, we have not seen people come together to respond in the same way they did after the earthquake in Haiti. Many who do hear about the crisis are left with the impression that we can’t successfully do anything about it.
But I know for a fact that we can fight this famine. We were fighting it before it started. Through safety net programs, we have helped 7.5 million Ethiopians withstand the worst effects of this drought without the need for humanitarian assistance.
And as a result of Feed the Future investments, we have seen more than a 300 percent increase in grain yields in Western Kenya in just one year, securing the nation’s agricultural backbone and helping lower the price of critical staples throughout the region.
But despite being the single largest donor of assistance in the region, we recognize we cannot fight the famine alone.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Tags: Africa Famine
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