WASHINGTON, D.C., US – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a $10 million award to the UN World Food Program to provide food assistance to close to 220,000 people most severely affected by drought and coffee rust in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.
Secretary John Kerry and USAID Associate Administrator Mark Feierstein announced the U.S. Government support at a meeting with the three foreign ministers in advance of the UN General Assembly.
“We must ensure that Central Americans affected by the devastating drought and coffee rust crisis have enough to eat, the ability to support their families, and job opportunities,” said USAID Associate Administrator Mark Feierstein.” “This assistance will help prevent families from sliding back into poverty, allowing individuals to remain in their communities and contribute to local development.”
According to the Famine Early Warning System Network, 2.3 million people in Central America are food insecure and need food assistance. The ongoing drought and coffee rust outbreak, combined with rising food prices, is increasing the severity of food insecurity and contributing to rising malnutrition rates. Since 2012, coffee rust has affected more than two million people in Latin America, causing an estimated $1 billion in economic damage which could lead to 500,000 job losses.
The award, through USAID’s Office of Food for Peace, will provide cash transfers and food vouchers to the most vulnerable, food insecure populations in these countries. USAID’s support will contribute to the UN World Food Program’s three-year, $80 million project targeting more than 400,000 people in Central America.
In addition, USAID has invested close to $20 million in the last year to combat coffee rust in Latin America and the Caribbean and leveraged a total of $26 million in private sector investment
