Volume Four, Issue Eighteen
Ending Extreme Poverty
USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah outlined U.S. plans to help end extreme poverty during a speech last Thursday at the Brookings Institution. Striking an optimistic tone, Shah said that transforming the lives of the 1.2 billion people who live on less than $1.25 a day is a tremendous challenge, but one that can be overcome.
"Since 1999, the total number of extreme poor has declined by nearly 50 million people every year, on average," Shah said. "Projections of what we can achieve by 2030 do differ, but most experts believe that reducing the number of people living in extreme poverty to 200 million people - roughly 3 percent of the globe in 2030 - is an extraordinarily ambitious but achievable target."
The Brookings event also included a panel discussion moderated by Annie Lowrey from The New York Times. Watch it here.
USAID Mobilizes Typhoon Response
Aid from the United States to victims of Typhoon Haiyan has reached more than $47 million since the storm decimated swaths of the Philippines on Nov. 8. Today, at least 4.3 million people are displaced across 44 provinces.
U.S. assistance to those who survived the storm - one of the strongest ever recorded - includes emergency shelter materials, hygiene kits, water containers and enough food aid for nearly 2 million. Supplies from USAID warehouses in the region were airlifted to the Philippines as well. Read more about USAID's response to this catastrophe and watch this video from U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, who visited one of USAID's programs in the region over the weekend. Also check out this video from USAID's team on the ground.
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
On Nov. 25 USAID commemorated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women - a day to emphasize that gender-based violence is a violation of human rights, a public health challenge, and a barrier to civic, social, political and economic participation.
The day also launched the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, which will culminate on Dec. 10 with International Human Rights Day, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the unacceptably high rates of violence against women. The right of women and girls to live free of violence is critical to achieving long-term, sustainable development, and this vision can only be realized through the world's collective efforts.
Learn how you can take an active part in eliminating gender-based violence at www.usaid.gov/16-days. And use the hashtag #16days to follow the issue on social media.
Celebrating Entrepreneurship Week at USAID
Last week, USAID celebrated Global Entrepreneurship Week. The Agency has played a leading role in promoting the U.S. Government's efforts to join forces with entrepreneurs, social enterprises and impact investors to mainstream their role in global development. Investing more than $900 million in over 100 programs benefiting entrepreneurs in developing countries, USAID is supporting skills-building and education, enabling access to capital and markets, mitigating risk and encouraging more investment in developing markets. Follow the discussion on Twitter #GEW2013, Facebook and USAID Linkedin.
Have you Seen our Blog?
Check out the Impact Blog to stay updated on the latest information about USAID programs in Washington and around the world. Read stories from our missions, hear from development experts, and view weekly photographs and videos on development in action. You can also join the development conversation on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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