Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris, has announced over $1.5 Billion to Bolster Ukraine’s energy sector, address its humanitarian needs, and strengthen civilian security
According to a release by the United States Agency for International Development office, Harris made the announcement as part of the Summit for Peace in Ukraine and her meeting with Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The release states that the Vice President announced that “the United States, through USAID and the State Department, will provide over $1.5 billion to support the people of Ukraine. From USAID, this includes $500 million in new funding for energy assistance and redirecting $324 million in previously announced funds towards emergency energy needs in Ukraine”; adding that, “This funding will repair energy infrastructure damaged in the war, expand power generation, encourage private sector investment, and protect energy infrastructure”; and that, “These efforts will help Ukraine respond to Russia’s latest attacks on Ukraine energy infrastructure by supporting repair and recovery, improving Ukraine’s resilience to energy supply disruptions, and laying the groundwork to repair and expand Ukraine’s energy system”.
Continuing, the release states that in addition, Harris announced “more than $379 million in humanitarian assistance from State and USAID to help address urgent needs of refugees, internally displaced persons, and conflict-affected communities impacted by Russia’s brutal war against the Ukrainian people”.
This support, it further states, “Entails food assistance, health services, shelter, and water, sanitation, and hygiene services for millions of vulnerable Ukrainians inside the country and in the region. The assistance also includes support for comprehensive protection activities, including case management and psychosocial support services, as well as agriculture and livelihoods assistance to enable families to restore income and meet their basic needs”.
Vice President Harris also announced that, working with Congress, the State Department plans to provide an additional $300 million in Ukrainian civilian security assistance to support lifesaving equipment for Ukrainian border guards and law enforcement.
This support, she said, would help them safely operate on the front lines of the war to defend Ukraine’s territory, rescue civilians targeted by the Kremlin’s attacks, protect critical infrastructure, and investigate the over 120,000 registered cases of war crimes and other atrocities.
She explained that “these funds come as part of a larger foreign aid package spearheaded by President Biden to support the people of Ukraine as the Russian Federation continues its attacks against civilians and critical infrastructure that have killed more than 11,000 civilians and displaced millions more, cutting them off from electricity, heat, water, and other essential utilities. Despite this, Ukrainians persist in pushing back against Putin’s brutal invasion both on and off the battlefield”.
It is on record that since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the United States has devoted more than $3.2 billion in humanitarian assistance funding and nearly $1.5 billion to help the recovery of the energy sector, enable clean and reliable energy, and strengthen transparency in the sector.
