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Here is a summary of State Department and USAID budget rollout:
Note: this is an interpreted summary and is not verbatim.
Earlier today, Deputy Secretary Thomas R. Nides announced the State Department and USAID’s budget for fiscal year 2012. USAID as you know is the federal agency tasked with delivering foreign civilian aid across the globe, primarily focused on economic, development and humanitarian assistance abroad. While the 2012 budget certainly covers these areas, both the Core Budget and the Extraordinary Temporary Costs Budget—a new addition to the fund—reflect the nation’s ongoing concern with national security, clearly making this allotment of dollars an ongoing extension of national security versus actual foreign assistance for the sake of human and economic development in areas where it is very much needed. This blogger wants to know, given the clear emphasis on national security and primarily securing American interests overseas, when will USAID begin focusing its efforts on programs that facilitate development in countries where it operates? Isn’t this objective ultimately tied to promoting US interests anyway?
Here is a break down of the two areas:
Core Budget – Foreign Assistance & Operations Budget
$47 Billion
- 11 billion (or 23%), which will be spent on preventing conflict, promoting economic security and supporting fragile states;
- 7.4 billion (or 16%) to support key allies and partners, of which 3 billion will be spent on Israel;
- 14.6 billion (or 31%) for advancing human security through programs focused on disease control, food security and climate change;
- 14 billion (or 30%) on securing diplomatic presence in 190 countries
Extraordinary Temporary Cost
$8.7 Billion
- Reflects allocation of funds into a new account, Overseas Contingency Operations, specifically for spending on Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, similar to the Department of Defense.
For more information visit- http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/entry/fy2012_state_usaid_budget_rollout
Bibi Khan - GPP Research Fellow |
