The United States Announces Additional $500 Million in Humanitarian Assistance for Ukrainians
A new package of humanitarian aid for Ukraine worth more than $500 million has been announced by Samantha Power, head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), during her visit to Kyiv.
This is reported on the official USAID website.
The new aid package has been formed as a backdrop of the deteriorating humanitarian situation following the recent destruction of the Kakhovka HPP dam by Russian occupation forces and the intensification of missile shelling, which has resulted in deaths and injuries among the civilian population.
«This new funding bolsters support for displaced and other war-affected people with emergency food assistance, health care, emergency shelter, safe drinking water and hygiene support, and multipurpose cash assistance», - the USAID statement said.
The new funding will be aimed at supporting the most vulnerable and at-risk populations, in particular, the organisation of «safe spaces for women and girls, as well as their psychosocial support». This assistance will be provided through a network of UN agencies and «non-governmental organisation partners, including local humanitarian organisations.»
Last month, the UN published a report on human rights violations during Russia's war in Ukraine since 24 February 2022. The document, published by the organisation, provides evidence of extrajudicial executions in more than 30 towns and cities in Ukraine, cases of sexual violence, including gang rape, as well as episodes of torture, inhuman treatment of detainees and denial of medical care.
As a reminder, during the Ukraine Recovery Conference held last month in London, the United States granted Kyiv an additional $1.3 billion to help it overcome the consequences of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to the announced aid, Washington promised Ukraine $520 million to rebuild Ukraine's energy grid after massive Russian attacks; another $657 million was allocated to "modernise Ukraine's border crossings, rail lines, ports and other critical infrastructure", which is aimed at increasing the volume of trade between Ukraine and the EU.
The United States is the largest donor of humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Since February 2022, Washington has provided more than $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.