Maputo, Mozambique — July 20, 2022 - My name is Uzra Zeya and I am the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights at the United States Department of State. I want to thank you, President Nyusi, for the warm welcome and productive discussion. I have been overwhelmed by the hospitality, resilience, and natural beauty of this great nation. It is a true honor to be in Mozambique to deepen our strategic partnership based on dialogue, respect, and shared values.
The United States is committed to supporting Mozambicans to build a healthier, more secure, more democratic, and more prosperous country for all. We remain committed to increasing cooperation on countering violent extremism, strengthening pandemic response, ensuring economic prosperity, and supporting strong democratic institutions.
We also have a shared interest in promoting and achieving long-term stability in Cabo Delgado. That is why President Biden announced Mozambique as a partner country for the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability. In the first year of implementation, the U.S. will provide $13.75 million to rebuild infrastructure, provide human rights training, strengthen community organizations, contribute to the conclusion of the demobilization, disarmament, and rehabilitation process, and launch sports and arts diplomacy in the north, among other activities.
The United States remains the largest bilateral donor to Mozambique. Last year, we provided more than $536 million in assistance, particularly in health. And let me assure you that the United States remains committed to working with the Mozambican government, civil society, and the private sector to strengthen the resiliencies of communities affected by terrorism and natural disasters.
So I am proud to announce today that the United States is providing an additional $116 million in assistance. This funding will support our partners to provide food and nutrition assistance and meet health care, water, agriculture, and other critical relief needs. And this will bring the total U.S. humanitarian assistance to Mozambique to $167 million this year. With this support, the United States is helping nearly 800,000 internally displaced Mozambicans and working with local partners to address the drivers of terrorism and cultivate community cohesion.
Our government and civil society partnerships improve health and education outcomes, prevent child marriage, empower vulnerable youth to resist violent extremism and find jobs, and increase trust and positive interactions between communities and the government.
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There are also external destabilizing factors at play. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has caused widespread disruptions and significantly increased the price of food and fuel globally. An additional 40 million people around the world are believed to be at risk of food insecurity brought about by Russia's attack on Ukraine. Russia's military is destroying Ukrainian farms and grain silos, stealing Ukrainian grain and the equipment to harvest it, and blockading Ukrainian food exports via the Black Sea. As long as Putin continues his war, millions of people well beyond Ukraine's borders will suffer from increased food insecurity, with nations in Africa feeling an outsize share of the pain. This is why, working with the U.S. Congress, the United States intends to provide more than $5 billion in additional aid this year, including more than $760 million specifically for global food security, with the majority of this new funding going to African nations, including Mozambique.
So our partnership with Mozambique is deep and diverse. Through continued engagement on these issues the U.S. is committed to deepening our friendship and strategic partnership with Mozambique and Mozambican people. Thank you, and I am happy to answer your questions.
