In Poland, US Vice Prez Kamala Harris announces additional $50 million aid to Ukraine

Washington, D.C. (US): US Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday (local time) announced nearly USD 53 million in new humanitarian assistance to support civilians affected in Ukraine by Russia’s invasion.

“During her trip to Warsaw, Poland, today, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris announced nearly USD 53 million in new humanitarian assistance from the United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), to support innocent civilians affected by Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine,” the White House said in a statement.

According to the statement, this additional assistance includes support to the UN World Food Program (WFP) to provide lifesaving emergency food assistance to meet immediate needs of hundreds of thousands affected by the invasion, including people who are displaced from their homes and who are crossing the border out of Ukraine.

In addition, it will support WFP’s logistics operations to move assistance into Ukraine, including to people in Kyiv.

This assistance builds on the United States’ announcement less than two weeks ago of nearly USD 54 million in humanitarian assistance to provide critically needed health supplies, food assistance, high thermal blankets, and other relief, the statement said.

“The United States is the largest provider of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and has provided USD 159 million in overall humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since October 2020, including nearly USD 107 million in the past two weeks in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” read the statement.

This includes food, safe drinking water, shelter, emergency health care, and winterization services to communities affected by ongoing fighting.

To date, two million people have been forced to flee Ukraine due to the conflict, and an estimated one million are displaced inside Ukraine.

At least 12 million people are in need of humanitarian aid across Ukraine. The United States continues to stand with the people of Ukraine and will continue to work to meet immediate needs and save lives, the statement added.