United States Offers Mozambique $1.5bn Development Assistance

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

The United States Government’s lead development agency, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has renewed its partnership with Mozambique, offering development assistance of $1.5 billion.

At a signing ceremony of the Development Objective Grant Agreement, USAID said the fund would be used to promote a more peaceful, prosperous, and healthy Mozambique.

USAID’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy for 2020-2025 provides a roadmap for activities realized under the five-year agreement.

Developed with key stakeholders, including the Government of Mozambique and other international donors and development organizations, the strategy focuses on three primary objectives: healthier and better-educated Mozambicans; diversified and inclusive economic growth; and increased resilience of vulnerable populations.

Building on 38 years of partnership, USAID’s five-year strategy increases support for northern and central Mozambique to withstand the shocks of natural disasters, violent extremism, and food insecurity.

To promote a business environment that allows diverse and inclusive growth, programming will assist Mozambique to develop more transparent and accountable public financial management.

At the signing, Chargé d’Affaires Dressel said, “Today, we formally renew our development partnership with Mozambique and once again pledge to stand alongside Mozambicans to find innovative solutions to current development challenges and capitalize on the potential of this country.”

As part of the U.S. Mission to Mozambique, USAID works alongside the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Peace Corps to provide broad development support in Mozambique.

In close collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Mozambique, the U.S. Government provides more than $500 million in annual assistance to improve the quality of education and healthcare, promote economic prosperity, and support the overall development of the nation.

USAID leads the US Government’s international development and disaster assistance through partnerships and investments that save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people emerge from humanitarian crises.

With an approximate population of 30 million, Mozambique is endowed with rich and extensive natural resources but remains among the group of poorest and underdeveloped countries in the world. It is one of the 16-member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) created in 1980.