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Afghanistan and Pakistan
Africa
Asia
Europe and Eurasia
Latin America and the Caribbean
Middle East

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USAID Education Crisis Response in Nigeria

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USAID is the world's premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID works to help lift lives, build communities, and advance democracy. USAID's work advances U.S. national security and economic prosperity; demonstrates American generosity; and promotes a path to recipient self-reliance and resilience.

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On behalf of the American people, USAID promotes and demonstrates democratic values abroad, and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world. In support of America's foreign policy, USAID leads the U.S. Government's international development and disaster assistance through partnerships and investments that save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people emerge from humanitarian crises and progress beyond assistance.

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To support partners to become self-reliant and capable of leading their own development journeys by
*by reducing the reach of conflict, preventing the spread of pandemic disease, and counteracting the drivers of violence, instability, transnational crime and other security threats.
*promoting American prosperity through investments that expand markets for U.S. exports; create a level playing field for U.S. businesses; and
*supporting more stable, resilient, and democratic societies. We stand with people when disaster strikes or crisis emerges as the world leader in humanitarian assistance.

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PASSION FOR MISSION - Work to foster sustainable development and advance human dignity globally.
EXCELLENCE - Strive for efficiency, effectiveness, and meaningful results across our work.
INTEGRITY - Honest and transparent, accountable for our efforts, and maintain a consistently high moral standard.
RESPECT - Demonstrate respect for one another, our partners, and the people we serve in communities around the world.
EMPOWERMENT - Elevate all voices striving for global economic, environmental, and social progress.
INCLUSION - Value our differences and draw strength from diversity.
COMMITMENT TO LEARNING - Seek to improve ourselves and our work continually through reflection and evaluation.

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Given scarcity of resources and other challenges, we will also have to be more efficient in how we meet this demand. Ensuring that people have sufficient food requires aligning short-term assistance with a long-term development strategy to help countries feed their own people.

What is Food Security?

Food security means having, at all times, both physical and economic access to sufficient food to meet dietary needs for a productive and healthy life. A family is food secure when its members do not live in hunger or fear of hunger. Food insecurity is often rooted in poverty and has long-term impacts on the ability of families, communities and countries to develop. Prolonged undernourishment stunts growth, slows cognitive development and increases susceptibility to illness.

Today, nearly 800 million people across the globe will go to bed hungry tonight, most of them smallholder farmers who depend on agriculture to make a living and feed their families. Despite an explosion in the growth of urban slums over the last decade, nearly 75 percent of poor people in developing countries live in rural areas. That's why growth in the agriculture sector has been found, on average, to be at least twice as effective in reducing poverty as growth in other sectors.

Investing in these smallholder farmers-most of whom are women-is more important than ever. A spike in world food prices in 2008 hurt economies across the world and led to destabilizing riots in over 30 countries. In order to feed a population expected to grow to 9 billion people by 2050, the world will have to double its current food production, all while with less water and land.

In 2009 at the G-8 Summit in L'Aquila, Italy, the United States rallied global leaders to refocus on addressing the root causes of global food insecurity through agricultural development and nutrition. This set the foundation for the U.S. Government's global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future, which is the U.S. contribution to this global effort to combat global hunger, poverty, and malnutrition.

Led by USAID, Feed the Future draws on the strengths of agencies across the U.S. Government and leverages resources and efforts with multilateral organizations, NGOs, the private sector, research institutions and other stakeholders to accelerate inclusive agricultural growth.

Feed the Future is also the primary way the U.S. Government contributes to another global effort on food security: The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition(link is external). Launched in 2012, the New Alliance brings partners together to unlock responsible private investment in African agriculture to drive country-driven approaches to development with input and collaboration from local organizations and leaders to ensure lasting results for smallholder farmers and their families.

In 2016, enactment of the Global Food Security Act solidified the U.S. Government's continued, bipartisan commitment to reducing hunger, malnutrition and poverty around the world.

As part of these efforts, USAID is scaling up a comprehensive approach to fighting hunger and strengthening food security by:

Leading the U.S. Government's Feed the Future initiative in collaboration with 10 other U.S. Government agencies and departments.

Investing in cutting-edge scientific and technological agricultural research to develop stronger seeds and greener fertilizers so farmers can grow more.

Developing agricultural markets, expanding trade and using mobile phones to provide real-time prices, so farmers can sell what they grow at a profit.

Helping farmers access capital, so they can expand their farms and buy equipment.

Offering extension services, so farmers can learn the best techniques to grow and store their crops.

Developing sustainable agriculture strategies, so countries can feed their populations without depleting their natural resources.

Providing emergency food assistance, so vulnerable populations and malnourished can survive and quickly bounce back in times of crisis.

Through efforts like Feed the Future, USAID is advancing global food security by helping to improve the most basic of human conditions: the need that families and individuals have for a reliable source of quality food and sufficient resources to purchase it. This, in turn, supports global stability and prosperity.

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Agriculture and Food Security | U.S. Agency for International Development

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Nearly 800 million people across the globe will go to bed hungry tonight, most of them smallholder farmers who depend on agriculture to make a living and feed their families. USAID is scaling up a comprehensive approach to fighting hunger and strengthening food security.

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The U.S. Global Development Lab serves as an innovation hub. We take smart risks to test new ideas and partner within USAID and with other actors to harness the power of innovative tools and approaches that accelerate development impact.

Our Mission

Working collaboratively with the Agency and our external partners, the Lab's mission is two-fold:

To produce breakthrough development innovations by sourcing, testing, and scaling proven solutions to reach hundreds of millions of people

To accelerate the transformation of the development enterprise by opening development to people everywhere with good ideas, promoting new and deepening existing partnerships, bringing data and evidence to bear, and harnessing scientific and technological advances.

Our Approach

If we are going achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and end extreme poverty as we know it, we need to bring together diverse partners to catalyze the next generation of breakthrough innovations. That is why USAID established the Lab in 2014.

The Lab operates under a set of guiding principles. We are:

Open and Inclusive - Drawing upon the ingenuity of people from around the world.

Evidence-based - Investing based on strong evidence of impact.

Catalytic - Attracting the support of others to enable sustainable development solutions that reach massive scale.

Agile - Creating fast feedback loops that enable continuous learning and performance improvement.

Our focus on leveraging the promise of science, technology, innovation, and partnership reflects USAID's broad embrace of innovation to bring about positive change and solve some of the world's most pressing challenges. We are aligned around five core objectives to increase the impact of our efforts.

Science: We channel the technical expertise of scientists and researchers to build local scientific capacity, empowering people with tools for change, and use the evidence from scientific research to drive new policies and programs.

Technology: We work to increase access to digital financial services and the internet, in part by strengthening enabling environments. We also increase the use of evidence, data, and analytics for better decision-making.

Innovation: We identify, test, and accelerate new tools that have evidence of impact, sustainable financing, and reach. We also increase the adoption of high-impact solutions and the effective use of innovation methods by the Agency.

Partnership: We work with impact investors to catalyze private capital for early-stage businesses and strengthen the environment for entrepreneurship. We also manage USAID's signature public-private partnership model, the Global Development Alliance, and work to catalyze new models for collective action.

Cross-cutting Activities: We work to advance USAID's development goals and increase its impact by mainstreaming the use of science, technology, innovation, and partnership to address cross-cutting international development issues.

Our Staff

We have a diverse and specialized staff of scientists, engineers, technology and partnership experts, former venture capitalists, and program and administrative specialists. Meet the Lab's senior leadership.

Learn More

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About the U.S. Global Development Lab | U.S. Agency for International Development

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The U.S. Global Development Lab serves as an innovation hub. We take smart risks to test new ideas and partner within USAID and with other actors to harness the power of innovative tools and approaches that accelerate development impact.

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Every year, droughts, floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters affect approximately 100 million people and cause more than $100 billion dollars in economic damage. Today, 78 million people across 45 countries are in need of emergency food assistance. And authoritarian leaders still govern nearly 50 countries, while the same number of countries are affected by conflict or potential instability.

Poverty and conflict are inextricably linked to authoritarianism and poor governance, with the consequences for citizens only worsening during times of crisis.

In 2017, conflict in Nigeria, Iraq, Yemen, and South Sudan left tens of millions in need of assistance while Syria entered the sixth year of a brutal civil war that has destroyed entire communities and affected far too many lives. Just as we have in these countries, USAID remains committed to responding to crises around the world, to help the people and places most in need.

With a focus on disaster prevention, response, recovery and transition, we are working to:

Providing humanitarian assistance in times of need is the fundamental reflection of our core American values.

Over the last year, we have:

Provided emergency assistance to tens of millions of people in 51 countries in response to 53 disasters.

Provided food assistance in the form of food, cash transfers for food and food vouchers to 70 million people in 53 countries.

Helped prevent conflict and mitigate the impact of unanticipated complex crises with targeted programs in five countries.

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Working in Crises and Conflict | U.S. Agency for International Development

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Every year, droughts, floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters affect approximately 100 million people and cause more than $100 billion dollars in economic damage. USAID remains committed to responding to crises around the world, to help the people and places most in need.

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Democratic governance and human rights are critical components of sustainable development and lasting peace. Countries that have ineffective government institutions, rampant corruption and weak rule of law have a 30-to-45 percent higher risk of civil war and higher risk of extreme criminal violence than other developing countries.

To help change this narrative, we are integrating democracy programming throughout our core development work, focusing on strengthening and promoting human rights, accountable and transparent governance, and an independent and politically active civil society across all our work. At the same time, we remain committed to fundamental democratic empowerment activities, including supporting free and fair elections, up-to-date technology for new and traditional media, as well as the rule of law.

By helping societies protect the basic rights of citizens, we prevent conflict, spur economic growth and advance human dignity. Countries with democratic freedoms are more just, peaceful and stable-and their citizens can fulfill their potential. Through its democracy, human rights and governance programs, the United States remains committed to protecting and advancing our most cherished values.

We are focused on:

Democratic Governance - Building open, responsive, and accountable institutions and processes that serve the needs and preferences of the public.

Participation - Ensuring that all have the opportunity to participate and have a voice in how they will be governed.

Fair Competition - Promoting free, transparent and fair political competition so that citizens' preferences are represented.

Civil Society and Independent Media - Defending citizens' rights of association and expression, so that they can play a role in their country's future.

Justice - Holding institutions and people responsible to the rule of law.

To advance these goals, we launched the new Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance in 2012. The Center provides technical advice and support to USAID missions implementing programs in democracy, human rights and governance; generates and disseminates knowledge to build the evidence base for global advancement in the area; and elevates the role of DRG in key USAID, U.S. Government, and multilateral strategies.

As a result of this focus, we have recently:

Since the Elections and Political Processes (EPP) Fund was established in 2006, we have provided critical support to 80 countries or sub-regions, 26 of which were for unanticipated electoral and political processes needs, including snap elections in Molvoda, Serbia, and Yemen.

Since 2011, the Human Rights Grants Program has addressed the most urgent Human Rights challenges in 89 different countries. This includes C-TIP programming in Peru, programming for Indigenous Peoples in Paraguay, Genocide education in Cambodia, migrant rights programming in Macedonia, and women's empowerment programming in Sudan.

Launched in 2016, the five-year Global Labor Program promotes labor rights and access to justice for workers. The program supports country programs in Cambodia, Bangladesh, Burma, Ukraine, Morocco, South Africa, Colombia, Mexico and regional programs in Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Southern Africa and Latin America that cover activities in 31 countries. Through its union partners the program directly reaches tens of thousands of workers annually, inclusive of vulnerable populations, including women.

The Disability Rights and Inclusive Development program, which provides financial and technical assistance across the Agency, promotes the inclusion of persons with disabilities in USAID programs and builds the capacity of local disabled people's organizations. In FY 2015 alone, the DRG Center strengthened the capacity of over 2,000 local organizations that work to support vulnerable populations.

Country Example:

Philippines - Court Reform: USAID's rule of law programming in the Philippines has measurably reduced case processing times amidst growing strains on the justice system. In the country's largest court district (consisting of 58 courts and an estimated 15 percent of all cases pending in the trial courts), the median processing time of cases has been reduced by 60 to 78 percent.

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Democracy, Human Rights and Governance | U.S. Agency for International Development

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Democratic governance and human rights are critical components of sustainable development and lasting peace. Countries that have ineffective government institutions, rampant corruption and weak rule of law have a 30-to-45 percent higher risk of civil war and higher risk of extreme criminal violence than other developing countries.

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Broad-based economic growth is essential to sustainable, long-term development.

It creates the opportunities impoverished households need to raise their living standards, provides countries with the resources to expand access to basic services, and-most important of all-enables citizens to chart their own prosperous futures.

Despite incredible progress that has reduced poverty levels in every region of the world and helped dramatically accelerate growth in sub-Saharan Africa, the global economic crisis has slowed growth worldwide. Today, three quarters of the world's poor don't have a bank account, and access to capital remains a significant barrier throughout the developing world.

To overcome these challenges and advance rapid, sustained and broad-based growth, we are focused on:

Mobilize new investors and private capital to underserved sectors and geographies, to create productive jobs, new economic opportunities, and enhance access to and quality of services - from financial and energy to health and education;

Giving people access to markets, where they can sell their goods and services and play a productive role in their economies;

Making governments more efficient in how they spend their money, to limit waste, strengthen investment and provide better services for citizens;

Improving infrastructure like roads, bridges, water supply and electrical grids, critical to lifting the limits on a country's growth;

Working with private-sector companies to spur economic development, so that citizens can participate in a vibrant economy that allocates resources wisely; and

Encouraging local channels of financing, empowering entrepreneurs in developing countries to improve their lives and shape their own futures.

Our economic growth programs also help build new markets for the United States by expanding trade and supporting the emergence of middle-class consumers that can buy U.S. goods and services. And we know that stable economies are less vulnerable to crises, terrorist activities and international crime.

To date, we've helped:

Transition Eastern and Central Europe to market-based economies by assisting with reforms of the commercial legal systems in 15 countries;

Support the integration of more than 28 countries into the World Trade Organization, facilitating fair trade among countries, including many countries in Eastern Europe as well as Vietnam, Cambodia and Nepal;

Mobilize up to $2.3 billion in private financing for more than 100,000 entrepreneurs around the world over the past 12 years, through USAID's Development Credit Authority, which uses partial credit guarantees to mobilize local financing and encourage private lenders to extend financing to new sectors and regions;

Assist partner countries to reform the energy sector in areas suffering from conflict and natural disasters, including Afghanistan and Haiti, helping energy utilities become self-sufficient without need for government subsidies.

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Broad-based economic growth is essential to sustainable, long-term development. It creates the opportunities impoverished households need to raise their living standards, provides countries with the resources to expand access to basic services, and-most important of all-enables citizens to chart their own prosperous futures.

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Education | U.S. Agency for International Development

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USAID is focused on improving reading skills in primary schools, by strengthening teaching techniques, materials, curricula and tests, so students can quickly master this essential skill; strengthening higher education and workforce development programs, so young people-especially disadvantaged communities and women-can find good jobs and contribute to the economic growth of

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Environment and Global Climate Change | U.S. Agency for International Development

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All countries depend heavily on their environment: Forests, grasslands, rivers, lakes, coral reefs and other ecosystems provide essential resources that provide food, water, shelter and energy. But those ecosystems and those resources are under incredible pressure.

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Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment | U.S. Agency for International Development

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Long-term, sustainable development will only be possible when women and men enjoy equal opportunity to rise to their potential. But today, women and girls continue to face disadvantages in every sector in which we work, while in some cases, boys are falling behind. For decades, USAID has been leading global efforts to achieve gender equality.

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For over 50 years, USAID's global health programs have saved lives, protected people most vulnerable to disease, and promoted the stability of communities and nations, while advancing American security and prosperity. America is safer and stronger when people can live healthy and productive lives and when nations around the world are self-reliant and resilient.

USAID's global health efforts, grounded in investments in health systems strengthening and breakthrough innovation, are focused around three strategic priorities: Preventing child and maternal deaths; controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic; and combating infectious diseases. Learn more about our different health areas below.

Preventing Child and Maternal Deaths

Through efforts in family planning, maternal and child health, malaria, and nutrition, USAID works to prevent child and maternal deaths by helping women and children access essential, and often life saving, health services.

Controlling the HIV/AIDS Epidemic

Since 1986, USAID's HIV/AIDS program has been on the forefront of the global AIDS crisis, providing strategic direction, leadership, and expertise to help control one of the world's most serious public health challenges.

Combating Infectious Diseases

In an increasingly interconnected society, a health threat anywhere is a threat everywhere. For decades, USAID has been a leader in the fight against infectious diseases, including malaria, through the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative; HIV/AIDS, through PEPFAR; tuberculosis; neglected tropical diseases; pandemic influenza, and other global health security challenges.

Health Systems

Strong and resilient health systems are necessary for achieving sustained positive health outcomes. By linking health issues through integrated approaches, USAID contributes to sustainable and cost-effective programs that leave a lasting impact on country health systems.

Innovation and Impact

USAID supports breakthrough innovations, applies market-based approaches, and advances efforts in digital health, private sector engagement, and human-centered design in order to maximize the impact of its global health work.

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For over 50 years, USAID's global health programs have saved lives, protected people most vulnerable to disease and promoted the stability of communities and nations, while advancing American security and prosperity. America is safer and stronger when people can live healthy and productive lives and when nations around the world are self-reliant and can prevent and withstand crisis.

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USAID's Vision for Water Security

Reliable access to safe water and sanitation saves lives, improves livelihoods, and makes communities more resilient. Investments in water security, sanitation and hygiene are critical for progress in nearly all aspects of global development. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, more people have access to safe drinking water, safely managed sanitation services, and basic hygiene services than ever before.

Global Progress and Possibility

Three in four people have access to safe drinking water in their homes

One in two people has access to safely managed sanitation services

Two in three people have basic hygiene services (including soap and water at home)

USAID works with governments, other local stakeholders, and partners to make it possible to achieve universal access by 2030.

Statistics based on JMP/WHO 2020 WASH data and World Bank's 2020 world population data.

USAID helps partner countries plan, finance, and deliver safe water and sanitation services for the neediest, while sustainably managing water resources. In support of the U.S. Government Global Water Strategy (link is external) and USAID's Water and Development Plan under the strategy, USAID will program, monitor, and report activities and outcomes across four development results:

1. Strengthen sector governance and financing (link is external)

2. Increase sustainable access and use of sanitation and practice of key hygiene behaviors (link is external)

3. Increase Sustainable Access to Safe Drinking Water (link is external)

4. Improve Management of Water Resources (link is external)

Delivering results

In FY 2020, USAID provided $450 million to support water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities in 41 countries. As a result:

USAID mobilized more than $216 million outside of U.S. taxpayer funding.

USAID strengthened 289 water and sanitation institutions.

3.9 million people gained access to sustainable water service, with 68 percent of those gaining access for the first time.

4.1 million people gained access to sustainable sanitation service, with 90 percent of those gaining access for the first time.

Women and girls made up 51 percent of those who gained access to sustainable water and sanitation services.

Since 2008, USAID has helped 59.5 million people gain sustainable access to water services, and 44.6 million people gain sustainable access to sanitation services.

Learn more about how USAID is achieving its development goals in the 2020 Global Water and Development Report of Water and Sanitation Activities (link is external) and explore how USAID is delivering results around the world in an interactive map.

Learn More

To better serve USAID partners, staff, and members of the broader WASH and development community, the USAID Water Team supports GlobalWaters.org, an online knowledge-sharing platform for disseminating best practices, lessons learned, and the latest research on USAID's water and sanitation programs.

On GlobalWaters.org (all links are external) users can find:

Connect with us

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Water and Sanitation | U.S. Agency for International Development

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Reliable access to safe water and sanitation saves lives, improves livelihoods, and makes communities more resilient. Investments in water security, sanitation and hygiene are critical for progress in nearly all aspects of global development. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, more people have access to safe drinking water, safely managed sanitation services, and basic hygiene services than ever before.

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USAID transforms families, communities, and countries so they can thrive and prosper by preventing the next global epidemic, responding to a devastating earthquake, or helping a farmer access tools to grow her business

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Behind every fisherman are groups of women who are paving their own way in the seafood industry, working to provide for their communities, create more sustainable fisheries, and deliver protein to a growing global population.

Behind every fisherman are groups of women who are paving their own way in the seafood industry

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USAID - US Agency for International Development

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Behind every fisherman are groups of women who are paving their own way in the seafood industry, working to provide for their communities, create more sustainable fisheries, and deliver protein to a growing global population.

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usaid foreign aid assistance humanitarian development forward "extreme poverty" international development science technology innovation

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USAID is the lead U.S. Government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential. Privacy policy: http://www.usaid.gov/privacy-policy

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When the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was created, it brought together several existing foreign assistance organizations and programs. Until then, there had never been a single agency charged with foreign economic development, so with the passage of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (pdf) by Congress, U.S. foreign assistance activities underwent a major transformation.

Leading this transformation was President John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy recognized the need to unite development into a single agency responsible for administering aid to foreign countries to promote social and economic development. On November 3, 1961, USAID was born and with it a spirit of progress and innovation. November 3, 2011 marked USAID's 50th Anniversary of providing U.S. foreign development assistance From the American People. Our workforce and USAID's culture continues to serve as a reflection of core American values--values that are rooted in a belief for doing the right thing.

"There is no escaping our obligations: our moral obligations as a wise leader and good neighbor in the interdependent community of free nations - our economic obligations as the wealthiest people in a world of largely poor people, as a nation no longer dependent upon the loans from abroad that once helped us develop our own economy - and our political obligations as the single largest counter to the adversaries of freedom." - John F. Kennedy

Early International Development Efforts

The modern-day concept of international development assistance took shape after World War II ended in 1945. George C. Marshall, the Secretary of State from 1947 to 1949 provided significant financial and technical assistance to Europe after the war. Famously known as the Marshall Plan, this was a successful effort that allowed Europe to rebuild its infrastructure, strengthen its economy, and stabilize the region.

International Aid Becomes Foreign Policy

Building on the success of the Marshall Plan, President Harry S. Truman proposed an international development assistance program in 1949. The 1950 Point Four Program focused on two goals:

Creating markets for the United States by reducing poverty and increasing production in developing countries

Diminishing the threat of communism by helping countries prosper under capitalism

From 1952 to 1961, programs supporting technical assistance and capital projects continued as the primary form of U.S. aid, and were a key component of U.S. foreign policy.

During this time, government leaders established various precursor organizations to USAID, including the:

Mutual Security Agency

Foreign Operations Administration

International Cooperation Administration

International Aid in the 1960s: An Agency is Born

In 1961, President Kennedy signed the Foreign Assistance Act into law and created USAID by executive order. Once USAID got to work, international development assistance opportunities grew tremendously. The time during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations became known as the "decade of development."

International Aid in the 1970s: A Shift to Basic Human Needs

In the 1970s, the USAID began to shift its focus away from technical and capital assistance programs. Instead, U.S. development assistance stressed a "basic human needs" approach, which focused on:

Food and nutrition

Population planning

Health

Education

Human resources development

International Aid in the 1980s: A Turn to Free Markets

In the 1980s, foreign assistance sought to stabilize currencies and financial systems.

It also promoted market-based principles to restructure developing countries' policies and institutions. During this decade, USAID reaffirmed its commitment to broad-based economic growth, emphasizing employment and income opportunities through a revitalization of agriculture and expansion of domestic markets. In this decade, development activities were increasingly channeled through private voluntary organizations (PVOs), and aid shifted from individual projects to large programs.

International Aid in the 1990s: Sustainability and Democracy

In the 1990s, USAID's top priority became sustainable development, or helping countries improve their own quality of life. During this decade, USAID tailored development assistance programs to a country's economic condition, which meant that:

Developing countries received an integrated package of assistance

Transitional countries received help in times of crisis

Countries with limited USAID presence received support through nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)

USAID played a lead role in planning and implementing programs following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. USAID programs helped establish functioning democracies with open, market-oriented economic systems and responsive social safety nets.

International Aid in the 2000s: War and Rebuilding

The 2000s, brought more evolution for USAID and foreign assistance with government officials once again calling for reform of how the agency conducts business. With the Afghanistan and Iraq wars in full swing, USAID was called on to help those two countries rebuild government, infrastructure, civil society and basic services such as health care and education. The Agency began rebuilding with an eye to getting the most bang out of its funding allocations. It also began an aggressive campaign to reach out to new partner organizations - including the private sector and foundations - to extend the reach of foreign assistance.

Today, USAID staff work in more than 100 countries around the world with the same overarching goals that President Kennedy outlined 50 years ago - furthering America's foreign policy interests in expanding democracy and free markets while also extending a helping hand to people struggling to make a better life, recover from a disaster or striving to live in a free and democratic country. It is this caring that stands as a hallmark of the United States around the world.

USAID Today

Our objective is to support partners to become self-reliant and capable of leading their own development journeys. We make progress toward this by reducing the reach of conflict, preventing the spread of pandemic disease, and counteracting the drivers of violence, instability, transnational crime and other security threats. We promote American prosperity through investments that expand markets for U.S. exports; create a level playing field for U.S. businesses; and support more stable, resilient, and democratic societies. We stand with people when disaster strikes or crisis emerges as the world leader in humanitarian assistance.

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USAID History | U.S. Agency for International Development

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When the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was created, it brought together several existing foreign assistance organizations and programs. Until then, there had never been a single agency charged with foreign economic development, so with the passage of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 by Congress, U.S.

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Country Development Cooperation Strategies (CDCS)

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One size does not fit all when it comes to foreign assistance. Working together, U.S. government agencies can provide humanitarian aid and crisis assistance more effectively.

A Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), typically a five-year strategy, defines a Mission's chosen approach in a country, articulates the self reliance trajectory, and details expected results. The CDCS provides a roadmap for how USAID will design and implement projects and activities, and is made available publicly. Within two months of CDCS approval, the USAID Mission posts the plan on the Agency's website and to the Development Experience Clearinghouse. It is used to inform dialogue with Congress, engage host country partners and other stakeholders, including the private sector and civil society.

For information on USAID's country and/or regional strategic planning, please refer to the ADS Chapter on Program Cycle Policy, section 201.3.2.

Listed below, please find the current list of approved CDCSs. Some CDCSs have been extended beyond the timeline noted on the cover sheet. Updated documents will be added as they are available.
Afghanistan

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Country Development Cooperation Strategies (CDCS) | Results & Data | U.S. Agency for International Development

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One size does not fit all when it comes to aid. Working together, U.S. government agencies can provide humanitarian aid and crisis assistance more effectively. A Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), typically a five-year strategy, defines a Mission's chosen approach in a country, providing the context for USAID-implemented programs and expected results.