US declares more than USD 170 million worth of aid for Venezuela

WASHINGTON, March 17 (KUNA) -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared on Friday USD 140 million in additional humanitarian assistance and more than USD 31 million in development assistance to respond to the needs of vulnerable Venezuelans.
The funds were allocated for Venezuelan refugees and migrants, and their generous host communities across the region. This assistance includes more than USD 56 million through the Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and more than USD 115million through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Blinken said in a statement.
The aid makes good on the Los Angeles Declaration commitment to support countries hosting large populations of displaced migrants and refugees. "Our assistance supports the most vulnerable Venezuelans with their critical needs.
It also complements the efforts of the host communities of 17 countries that have generously supported them. The United States works with trusted organizations to deliver assistance to ensure it is not diverted to the Maduro regime." The United States is the largest single donor for the response to the Venezuela regional crisis. This brings total U.S. assistance to more than USD 2.8 billion since 2017, including more than USD 2.5 billion in humanitarian assistance and USD 387 million in development assistance. (end) asj.rk