The U.S. State Department has awarded more than $240 million in foreign aid to Catholic Relief Services for humanitarian and disaster response efforts.<\/p>\n
The grant to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) marks \u201cthe first of a series of global State Department awards to trusted and vetted implementing organizations,\u201d according to a June 5 press release<\/a>. The $240 million awarded to Catholic Relief Services comes from U.S. State Department humanitarian assistance funds appropriated by Congress and administered through the department\u2019s disaster\u2011response bureau.<\/p>\n \u201cThese awards will focus on the rapid deployment of time-bound, lifesaving assistance in response to crises around the world, with implementers able to respond within 24 hours,\u201d the State Department said, noting that its staff is \u201cworking closely\u201d with CRS and other aid implementers to ensure the aid is delivered in a timely manner \u201cwhile reducing administrative overhead and duplicative efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n CRS will use the aid to provide assistance in countries \u201cwith significant levels of humanitarian need,\u201d the State Department said, citing Ethiopia, Haiti, Nigeria, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where CRS is working to stop the latest Ebola outbreak.<\/a><\/p>\n State Department Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response Senior Bureau Official Ryan Shrum announced the grant in Rome alongside U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch, CRS Vice President for Humanitarian Response Jennifer Poidatz, Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations Agencies in Rome Lynda Blanchard, and Caritas Internationalis Secretary-General Alistair Dutton.<\/p>\n The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See posted several images of the event on social media, writing: \u201cThis grant will allow CRS to address urgent humanitarian needs arising from disasters and complex emergencies around the world. CRS\u2019 expertise, its deep roots in disaster response, and its network of local partners will help us deliver a fast, flexible, and efficient model of global humanitarian assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n