Friend –

There’s lots happening on the global stage – and, sadly, it’s not all good news from the global COVID fight to hot spots from Haiti to Ethiopia to Syria.

But first, I did want to share one bright spot through our ongoing video series, part of USGLC’s Global Impact Project. It’s the story of some incredibly inspiring young women who – through the power of technology and mentoring – are changing the course of their countries, thanks to a partnership between Google and the State Department.

Lots to catch up on in this edition of the GLOBAL GAB – with new action (and variants) in the global fight against COVID, plus the latest from Capitol Hill.

Best,

Liz
Liz Schrayer, USGLC

THE GLOBAL GAB
July 7, 2021

DELTA SURGES. A new report from IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva underscores how COVID-19 infections in sub-Saharan Africa are the fastest growing in the world – driven in part by the highly contagious Delta variant. Twenty countries across Africa are facing a third COVID wave that could be the “worst yet” and hospitals are already at capacity in Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda. Here’s the latest on the U.S. response to the global COVID crisis:

• DELIVERING DOSES. The first tranche of American vaccines donated through the COVAX vaccine pipeline will begin reaching the first of 51 African countries this week – a development called “a saving grace” by John Nkengasong, head of the Africa CDC. Underscoring the scale of the challenge and the inequity in global vaccination efforts to date, only about 1.1% of Africa’s population has been fully vaccinated.
  
  
• HEARD ON THE HILL. At a budget hearing last month with Secretary Tony Blinken, Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) demonstrated the bipartisan support for vaccine distribution stating, “Our single most important priority for the rest of the year is going to be to vaccinate the world.” Representative Tom Cole (R-OK) recently spoke out on a CSIS panel, “We live in a world where you can't practice isolationism when it comes to vaccinations and disease.”
  
  
• AIR WAVES. Featured in a recent CNN segment, Loyce Pace, head of global affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told viewers that the threat of new variants reaching the U.S. is “why we're trying to move so quickly.” She added that the U.S. is “being a catalytic force in the world ensuring that other countries are stepping up to do their part as well.”

NEW GLOBAL STRATEGY. Last Friday, the Administration released a new “COVID-19 Global Response and Recovery Framework” to guide the whole-of-government response overseas. Headlining the release, “Even as we gain confidence in United States (U.S.) domestic COVID-19 vaccination coverage, none of us are safe until all of us are safe.”

• DISTRIBUTION PLAN. The White House also recently revealed the first phase of its global vaccine distribution plan for the first 55 million of 80 million doses to be delivered overseas – following its G7 announcement of a commitment to purchase and donate an additional 500 million Pfizer doses to global efforts. Here’s the quick breakdown:
  
  
• As promised, about 75% of initial doses – about 41 million – will be delivered through the COVAX with approximately 14 million destined for Latin America and the Caribbean, 16 million for Asia, and 10 million for Africa.
  
  
• The remaining 25% doses – another 14 million – will be distributed bilaterally from the U.S. to “regional priorities and other recipients” to “help deal with surges around the world.”
  
  
• In a veiled swipe at China and Russia, the White House release specifically highlighted that “the United States will not use its vaccines to secure favors from other countries.”
  
  
• VAX PARTNERSHIP. Fresh details are also emerging on the Administration’s efforts to accelerate vaccine production on the African continent. The new partnership – between the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), Johnson and Johnson, and a South African pharmaceutical company – aims to reach production of 500 million vaccine doses by the end of 2022.
  
  
• KEY QUESTION. With the emergence now of the new Lambda variant in South America – another new significant mutation on watch lists – the key question is can the world produce and effectively distribute the billions of vaccines needed globally before new variants reach beyond the protection of our current vaccines? The increasing action from the U.S. and our partners is welcome and desperately needed – but there’s a lot more to be done if we’re going to end the pandemic anytime soon and drive the economic recovery here at home.

HOT SPOTS. Even without the threat of COVID, several crises are worsening and demanding attention from policymakers and aid agencies:

• HAITI. Troubling news emerged overnight from Haiti with the report that Prime Minister Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in his home – another blow to a country that has been beset by hurricanes, earthquakes, and long-standing poverty.
  
  
• ETHIOPIA. As tensions continue in the Tigray region, the World Food Program reports the humanitarian access and operations remain fluid, while 91% the affected population remain in “dire need” of assistance. The UN reports that over 1 million people have been displaced.
  
  
• SYRIA. The world is facing a key deadline on July 10 on humanitarian access for Syrian families in need of life-saving assistance. Western powers are facing a Russian veto at the UN Security Council over whether the Syrian government will allow humanitarian aid to pass through a key border crossing with Turkey. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield warned Tuesday that the crossing “is a lifeline to millions of people.” Without this access, she said “the repercussions are obvious: people will starve to death.”
  
  
• AFGHANISTAN. With fighting increasing between Afghan security forces and the Taliban, aid groups are warning of the risk of a growing number of displaced and refugees. Also at risk, thousands of interpreters and others who worked alongside U.S. troops, the State Department, and U.S.-affiliated organizations. Since the start of the year, some 200,000 Afghans have been internally displaced and forced to flee their homes.

BUDGET WATCH. As global crises continue to escalate, lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee just released their funding allocations for Fiscal Year 2022 for the State Department, USAID, and other development agencies:

• If enacted, the close to 12% boost in resources for the State Department, USAID, and other development agencies would be a critical down payment consistent with expert recommendations on what is needed to help prepare for the next pandemic, tackle growing humanitarian crises, and ensure American competitiveness on the global stage.
  
  
• One area where the House package differed from the Administration’s proposal was an even greater boost to U.S. global health programs – not a surprise given the pandemic and that the House package was driven by longtime global health leader and new Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA).
  
  
• While the House could complete action on some of its spending bills before the August recess, the Senate is much further behind and may not begin “marking up” its bills until the fall. The bottom line: don’t expect to see any agreement on next year’s federal budget for some time.

GENERATION EQUALITY. Marking 25 years since the seminal UN conference on women in Beijing, Melinda Gates announced the Gates Foundation’s latest commitment of $2.1 billion to support global gender equality programs at the latest conference, just hosted in Paris. The Wall Street Journal noted that the “amount is among the largest single commitments” the Foundation has made in more than two decades.

WHEELS UP. A quick snapshot of leaders increasingly on the move overseas:

• Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will be in Italy this week for G20 ministerial meetings to discuss economic recovery from COVID, climate change, and global tax policy. Secretary of State Blinken was in Italy last week for the G20 and also held his first meeting with Pope Francis as secretary.
  
  
• Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) visited U.S. troops from Iowa over the July 4th holiday serving in Kosovo, Germany, and Belgium. Her stops included meetings with the Prime Minister of Kosovo and at the NATO headquarters.
  
  
• Jordan’s King Abdullah is on a three-week visit to the United States and will meet with President Biden in mid-July. Expect the Syrian crisis and Middle East tensions to be top of the discussion with the key U.S ally.
  
  
• Last month, Administrator Samantha Power departed on her first overseas trip as the USAID chief visiting programs in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.
  
  
• The Administration’s trade chief, Katherine Tai, is in Mexico City this week for negotiations on the USMCA with Mexican and Canadian trade officials.

WHAT’S IT WORTH? If you haven’t seen USGLC’s latest campaign – “Foreign Aid: What’s It Worth” – watch the launch video here and stay tuned as we take the message on the road around the country.