International U.S. Food Aid Hindered, Investigators Find

Multiple challenges hinder the efficiency of U.S. food aid programs by reducing the amount, timeliness, and quality of food provided, according to a recent government audit.

The United States is the largest global food aid donor, accounting for over half of all food aid supplies to alleviate hunger and support development. Since 2002, Congress has appropriated an average of $2 billion per year for U.S. food aid programs, which delivered an average of 4 million metric tons of food commodities per year, says a recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress.

Despite growing demand for food aid, rising business and transportation costs have contributed to a 52 percent decline in average tonnage delivered over the last five years, GAO finds.

"Specific factors that cause inefficiencies include (1) funding and planning processes that increase delivery costs and lengthen time frames; (2) ocean transportation and contracting practices that create high levels of risk for ocean carriers, resulting in increased rates; (3) legal requirements that result in awarding of food aid contracts to more expensive service providers; and (4) inadequate coordination between U.S. agencies and food aid stakeholders to track and respond to food and delivery problems," the GAO report says.

"U.S. agencies have taken some steps to address timeliness concerns," it adds. "The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has been stocking or prepositioning food commodities domestically and abroad, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has implemented a new transportation bid process, but the long-term cost effectiveness of these initiatives has not yet been measured."

Bookmark http://universeeverything.blogspot.com/ and drop back in sometime.

Officials Update Tsunami Recovery Two Years Later

Though the U.S. was among the largest contributors, the global response to the events of December 26, 2004 was essential in meeting the immediate needs of the affected populations of the region and to prevent a secondary disaster due to lack of sanitation and other public health concerns, according to officials who led the effort.

Mark Ward, senior deputy assistant administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), spoke at a tsunami relief and recovery update briefing at theNational Press Club in Washington. The purpose of the event was to provide an update on reconstruction activities in the region in recognition of the second anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami. Also speaking was Eric Schwartz, the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery.

An undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean occured on Dec. 26, 2004, triggering a series of devastating tsunamis killing more than 275,000 with thousands of others missing, with recent analysis compiled lists a total of 229,866 people lost, including 186,983 dead and 42,883 missing, according to Wikipedia. The catastrophe is one of the deadliest disasters in modern history.

The needed responses were met by the cooperation of the people and governments of the region and by public and private organizations and governmentsaround the world, according to officials who spoke at the Press Club.

In the two years since the tsunami, much work has been done to rebuild lives and livelihoods and U.S. government assistance has totaled more than$840 million in this effort. In addition, U.S. charitable donations haveexceeded $1.8 billion, according to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

As a result of this generosity, the U.S. is working with the affectedregions to rebuild infrastructure, provide jobs and training (particularly for women), strengthen communities and local governments, and develop early warning systems and effective disaster response programs.

"I'm pleased with our program to date, but more needs to be done," says Ward. "We're building roads that will withstand a tsunami, water sanitation systems, clinics, and homes. We're also providing job training and credit for small businesses. All of this is needed for a self-sufficient recovery."

Ward chaired both the USAID Tsunami Task Force as well as the USAID South Asia Earthquake Task Force and is now leading the U.S. government's Lebanon Reconstruction Task Force.


Bookmark http://universeeverything.blogspot.com/ and drop back in sometime.

Enter your Email





Preview Powered by FeedBlitz