USAID Announces $20 Million in Assistance to Address Food Security Crisis in Guatemala
September 21, 2022
USAID Announces $20 Million in Additional Assistance to Address
Global Food Security Crisis Impacts in Guatemala
Quetzaltenango, Guatemala – During her visit to Guatemala, USAID’s Deputy Administrator Paloma Adams-Allen announced that the country will receive $20 million from the United States through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID,) to combat the effects of rising food, fertilizer, and fuel costs, which have been exacerbated by Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.
Guatemala is one of more than 47 countries and regional organizations receiving funding to support USAID efforts in fighting food insecurity and mitigating increases in poverty, hunger, and malnutrition.
These funds will help farmer associations obtain financing; improve access to, and efficient use of, fertilizer, including biofertilizers; and invest in climate-smart technologies such as water catchment, drip irrigation, and simple greenhouses. The funding will also support rural families to expand planting of biofortified maize, which is high in zinc, iron, and protein.
U.S. Ambassador William Popp said of the announcement, “People in Guatemala are suffering due to the food crisis sparked by Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine. These additional resources will have a tremendous impact on the lives of Guatemalan families trying to put food on their table.”
Today, in his address to the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. announced over $2.9 billion in new assistance from the U.S. Government to address global food insecurity. President Biden’s announcement builds on the $6.9 billion in U.S. government assistance to support global food security already committed this year.
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