United States Mission Geneva

I know this historic moment comes at a time of great uncertainty for many Americans. We’ve now been through nearly a decade of war. We’ve endured a long and painful recession. And sometimes in the midst of these storms, the future that we’re trying to build for our nation — a future of lasting peace and long-term prosperity — may seem beyond our reach.

The United States is deeply concerned by the recent poisonings of Afghan school children in Kabul. While details of these attacks are still being verified, Afghan schools, teachers, and students, particularly girls, are regularly targeted by anti-government elements seeking to destabilize Afghanistan and undermine progress. We condemn such attacks and are working with the Afghan government to address this important issue and prevent further incidents from occurring.

Through Feed the Future, the U.S. will invest in agriculture and nutrition programs that will enable us to make a measurable difference in people’s lives, scale up examples of success, and promote sustainable solutions.

Thus far, over 60 nations have committed more than $700 million, including the $200 million I just referenced, the 150 relief and the 50 early recovery. We now calculate that the UN response plan, the initial plan of $460 million, is about two-thirds funded.