In November 2010, the Protection Working Group at InterAction issued a series of papers documenting an array of issues affecting the lives of Haitians made even more vulnerable by the 2010 earthquake. The papers set forth a number of recommendations calling on interested parties to ensure that all steps taken in rebuilding Haiti would uphold and restore lives with safety, dignity and rights.

In November 2010, the Protection Working Group at InterAction issued a series of papers documenting an array of issues affecting the lives of Haitians made even more vulnerable by the 2010 earthquake. The papers set forth a number of recommendations calling on interested parties to ensure that all steps taken in rebuilding Haiti would uphold and restore lives with safety, dignity and rights.

This report highlights three examples of Episcopal Relief & Development’s disaster response work from the past year, putting the organization’s activities in the context of different stages on the “disaster cycle.”  Episcopal Relief & Development supports local Church and ecumenical partners as they assist the most vulnerable in

Episcopal Relief & Development's 2012 Lenten Meditations are available in English and in Spanish, both in print and electronically.  Orders for print booklets should be placed with the Episcopal Media Center by February 10 for delivery by Ash Wednesday, February 22.  Online booklets and

The December 2011 issue of Monday Developments Magazine

When we went to press Friday afternoon, the House had passed H.R. 2055, the “megabus” conference agreement on the nine remaining appropriations bills including State, Foreign Operations. The vote was 296-121.

Written by Tawana Jacobs, InterAction's Associate Director of Public Relations.

The UN’s integration policy requires the close alignment of all objectives and activities of UN entities, including its humanitarian bodies, to achieve political ends. This is fundamentally incompatible with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence -- all essential to operating safely in situations of armed conflict and other political violence.

“Country ownership” has become an often used term in international development. The purpose of this paper is to provide some clarification by presenting InterAction’s definition along with an outline of its core elements and recommendations for ensuring meaningful stakeholder participation in U.S. government development processes.

Read about water wells, vegetable gardens and multilateral cooperation in the Philippines, and about a congregation in Tennessee calling members to act for social justice through their first U2charist.

Sam Worthington quoted in story, offering a civil society perspective.

Sam Worthington's op-ed on foreign assistance, published on the day of the CNN National Security Debate on 11/22/11.

After a week of rumor and innuendo, amendments and points of order, the FY2012 Senate State, Foreign Operations (SFOps) bill appears headed for inclusion in a nine-bill omnibus that leadership will attempt to push through by mid-December.

The November 2011 issue of Monday Developments Magazine

Judith Hermanson, an accomplished NGO senior executive with over 17 years of hands-on experience directing and growing nonprofit organizations, will join the Pan American Development Foundation as its new Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer effective February 1, 2012.

Episcopal churches are at the forefront of Hurricane Irene/Tropical Storm Lee response efforts in a number of communities.
 

The NetsforLife^® Inspiration Fund and Episcopal Relief & Development are pleased to announce new Spanish-language resources to help broaden involvement in this church-wide campaign.

NGO alliance InterAction applauds the recent introduction of the Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act of 2012 by Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs (HCFA).

The October 2011 issue of Monday Developments Magazine

Humanitarian groups are increasingly worried about the looming budget cuts in U.S. foreign assistance. They argue that lives are at stake in places like the Horn of Africa, which is suffering its worst drought in decades.

Raising public and private money for that crisis been a challenge in the current economic environment.

Episcopal Relief & Development and Pura Vida are offering four boxes this year, with combinations of Fair Trade and organic coffees, teas and chocolates.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations finally released their FY2012 report, available here.

This week the full Senate Appropriations Committee approved its FY2012 State, Foreign Operations bill by a 28-2 vote. The bill provided $44.6 billion in discretionary spending, with an additional $8.7 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO).

InterAction News Release: NGO alliance InterAction supports the level of 2012 funding for international affairs approved Wednesday by the Senate Appropriations Committee in a bipartisan 28-2 vote.

Read about flood recovery in Minot, North Dakota, and athletes in Wisconsin, Hawai'i and Oregon who raised awareness and support for Episcopal Relief & Development.
 

InterAction and 129 NGOs placed an ad in Roll Call magazine this week.  The ad was an open letter to Congress, asking them to oppose the severe cuts to foreign aid proposed in the current budget.  

Members of Episcopal Relief & Development's Partners in Response team will travel to the flood-affected dioceses of Vermont and Albany, to visit impacted congregations and support recovery planning.

InterAction News Release:

This PowerPoint presentation highlights Global Links' work in Haiti.

InterAction President and CEO Sam Worthington is quoted in this Horn of Africa story.

During the first day of InterAction's 2011 Forum, InterAction was joined by the UN's Valerie Amos and USAID's Don Steinberg at a media roundtable on the Horn of Africa.

InterAction continues to monitor the situation in the Horn of Africa and advocate for the needs of the over 12 million people who have been affected by the drought that has engulfed the region.

CARE and The World Wildlife Fund released a joint statement in applauding Senator John Kerry's inclusion of language linking conservation and development in the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2012-2013.   

Famine has been declared in parts of Middle Shabelle, IDP settlements along the Afgooye Corridor, parts of Mogadishu hosting IDPs, Lower

Current budget battles in Washington could result in an erosion of our country's "soft power" as US agencies who implement core foreign assistance programmes come under financial attack.

Legislation that would sharply cut U.S. foreign aid programs and slash support for family planning advanced on Wednesday in the Republican-controlled House, drawing protests from State Department officials and relief agencies.

InterAction Statement: Proposed cuts included in the State Department and foreign operations appropriations bill in the House of Representatives would have devastating consequences for the world's most vulnerable populations and gut core development and humanitarian spending accounts, said InterAction, the biggest alliance of U.S.-based international NGOs on Wednesday.

InterAction condemns the alleged staging of an immunization campaign in Pakistan by the U.S. government in order to gather information for counterterrorism purposes

War forced tens of thousands of Somalis to flee their capital, Mogadishu. Famine is bringing them back.

Hungry and sick Somalis are trekking from their homes in famine-struck southern areas in search of food, water and medicine. More than 50,000, by a July 18 United Nations count, have arrived in Mogadishu, a city destroyed by two decades of conflict.

Desperate to win hearts and minds in Pakistan, the U.S. has begun pushing aid organizations working in the country's most dangerous region along the Afghan border to advertise that they receive American assistance.

A statement by the Somalia NGO Consortium from July 20, 2011, on the UN's declaration of the first famine of the 21st century, in two regions in southern Somalia.

On Capitol Hill next week, the House Foreign Affairs Committee is holding a markup hearing of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2012 on Wednesday, July 20 at 10:00am in room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Check for other upcoming hearings in the Update below.

InterAction News Release: Members of InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations working abroad, are responding to the massive humanitarian crisis occurring in the Horn of Africa. The UN is estimating that as many as 10 million people are struggling with food and water shortages, acute malnutrition and mass displacement.

Prospective 2012 U.S. presidential candidates who want to limit our engagement abroad and  those lawmakers who propose  cuts to the 2012 foreign affairs budget have forgotten a basic budgeting rule.

InterAction News Release: At a critical juncture in the deficit reduction talks a diverse coalition of over 40 prominent international and domestic NGOs have joined the leaders of dozens of national faith organizations in calling on the Obama administration and congressional leadership to protect programs benefitting poor and hungry people both here and abroad from budget cuts.

InterAction watched with interest this week President Obama’s speech on troop levels in Afghanistan. With much of the attention centered on the aspects of the security transition, the face of long-term development in Afghanistan remains to be seen. In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noted that the U.S.

Robust foreign assistance helps governments in developing countries build more stable, prosperous societies, and can be a catalyst in pulling a country out of poverty.

This week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was busy with several nominations hearings, including one for former U.S. ambassador to both Pakistan and Iraq, Ryan Crocker, who this time is up for the position in Afghanistan. Furthermore, Dr. Ariel Pablos Mendez testified on Tuesday to be the next USAID Assistant Administrator for Global Health.

Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting disaster-impacted dioceses as they transition from emergency relief to long-term recovery. 

May 13, 2011 InterAction News Release: InterAction President and CEO Samuel A. Worthington said on Friday he was very disappointed with the latest cuts made by U.S. House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) in the  2012 foreign operations budget.

Although Congress is in recess this week, there were several pertinent hearings from last week whose summaries we did not include in the April 15 edition of the Weekly Update. Among these are an April 11 Commission on Wartime Contracting hearing regarding NGOs and Provincial Reconstruction Teams operating in Afghanistan.

Yesterday, the compromise FY2011 full-year appropriations bill (HR 1473) passed through Congress, with a 260-117 vote in the House of Representatives and an 81-19 vote in the Senate. President Obama will sign the bill sometime today.

The April 2011 issue of Monday Developments Magazine

InterAction Statement: U.S. NGO alliance InterAction calls on Congress to pass the 2011 spending agreement today and work with the Obama administration to agree on a 2012 budget that invests in building a more stable and prosperous world.

This is the product of a two-month collaborative process among InterAction's members to develop analysis and recommendations in three core areas: leadership, coordination and finance. It will be the basis of InterAction's engagement with the U.S. government and with the UN in the coming months on humanitarian reform issues.

Negotiations over FY2011 spending between Senate Democrats and House Republicans remain at an impasse this afternoon. A government shutdown looms if an agreement is not reached by midnight tonight. Please check out InterAction’s extended coverage of the FY 2011 appropriations process in the Washington Update section below.

InterAction is continuing to monitor the humanitarian situation in West Africa resulting from post-electoral violence in the Ivory Coast.

Last week, General David Petraeus and Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michéle Flournoy testified before the Armed Services Committee in both chambers about recent developments in Afghanistan. Find a summary of these hearings below, as well as information about legislation on Haiti recently introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and a list of upcoming hearings and articles of interest.

New project and sector summary information for InterAction members working in Haiti as of March 2011.

March 18, 2011 - Joel Charny, InterAction's vice president of humanitarian policy and practices, joins other aid workers on air to discuss the humanitarian relief effort taking place in Japan one week after the devastating 9.0 earthquake and resultant tsunami -- and in the shadow of a potential nuclear disaster.

Health sector information on Haiti updated as of March 17, 2011.

The images we have seen from Japan are as horrifying as those from the earthquake that devastated Haiti more than a year ago. Once again, TV news stations in Philadelphia and across the country have promoted relief efforts in their newscasts and many even held telethons.

The escalating nuclear crisis in Japan is making it harder to get help to survivors of the tsunami and earthquake, according to some Northwest aid organizations.

Policy brief from InterAction partner MFAN that makes the case for foreign assistance reform in this challenging budget environment.

A massive earthquake has hit Japan triggering a deadly tsunami and raising warnings of more tsunamis across the Pacific basin. Save the Children is mobilizing its global resources to respond to the needs of children and families affected by the earthquake and its aftermath, and an international emergency team has been dispatched to assist staff in Japan.

Earlier this afternoon, the Senate Appropriations Committee released detailed text of its Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011.

The American public appears to be clamoring for a discussion about the size and scope of the federal government. But how can Washington have a serious debate when most Americans are ignorant of what is in the budget?

InterAction statement on crisis in Libya, March 1, 2011

This is final list of what happened to the amendments to the House Continuing Resolution (CR) Extension. The final bill  passed at 4:40 a.m. Saturday morning, with all but three Republicans voting for it and all 186 Democrats voting against.

Transcript of a State Department discussion on its FY2012 budget request.

Letter to the editor in The Miami Herald on why now is the wrong time to be cutting U.S. foreign assistance.

Letter from State Department Assistant Secretary of Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration Eric Schwartz. Posted from Liberia, the letter explores the positive impact of U.S. foreign assistance while the House of Representatives makes massive cuts in the FY2011 budget.

Article in The Washington Post on the cuts to the foreign assistance accounts in the federal FY2011 budget. Staff from InterAction members World Food Program USA, World Vision and ONE are interviewed.

In the aftermath of a successful referendum process in South Sudan which will likely lead to the emergence of two new states—North and South Sudan—from one, and against the backdrop of sweeping changes throughout the Middle East and North Africa, violence in Darfur appears to be on the rise.

On the House floor,  Congressman Berman condemned House Republicans for their irresponsible slash-and-burn tactics to cut spending in a way that seriously jeopardizes our national security and hampers our country’s economic growth.

InterAction member CARE's statement on the FY2011 Continuing Resolution.

Statement by U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi on the FY2011 Continuing Resolution.

A line-by-line look at how InterAction is crunching the numbers in the House of Representative's 2011 "Continuing Resolution Extension" bill.

Note: Last updated June 27, 2011.

“In a tough fiscal environment, the Obama administration has presented a responsible and sensible FY 2012 international assistance budget; one that will help save lives, create economic prosperity here and abroad, and reduce future deficits by preventing bigger security outlays in the future.

 As the United States seeks to get its fiscal house in order, Congress must realize that cuts to foreign assistance now will only cost our country more later. Such a strategy would-–in the most basic terms-–be penny-wise and pound foolish.

The term “budget process,” when applied to the federal government, actually refers to a number of processes that have evolved separately and that occur with varying degrees of coordination.

Asked to estimate how much of the federal budget goes to foreign aid the median estimate is 25 percent. Asked how much they thought would be an "appropriate" percentage the median response is 10 percent.  In fact just 1 percent of the federal budget goes to foreign aid.

The unrelated crises roiling Egypt and the federal budget have at least one thing in common: They both have brought calls to eliminate foreign aid.

As the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs for 10 years, and chairwoman for the past four, I know we can come together because we have. And our cooperation must continue — even as major foreign assistance has been put on the chopping block — because our national security demands it.

Article in the Huffington Post on Feb. 3, 2011, on the fight to protect the U.S. foreign assistance budget from cuts in FY2011. InterAction's president and CEO, Samuel A. Worthington, is interviewed.

“We estimate that between 2005 and 2010, nearly half a billion people escaped extreme hardship, as the total number of the world's poor fell to 878 million people. Never before in history have so many people been lifted out of poverty in such a short period.”

Save the Children's assessment of Pakistan six months after the flooding.

“When I took office a year ago, the development community made clear if the United States was to play a leading role in international development, USAID would have to be strengthened and empowered with certain authorities that have been stripped from the agency over the course of decades. We heard you.”

The campaign proposes a Ten-point checklist of Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient to serve as a guide for commitment by Mayors.

One year progress report from InterAction member Solar Cookers International on work done in Haiti since the January 12, 2010, earthquake.

An entry on USA Today's "Kindness" blog about projects that have been ongoing in Haiti since the January 12, 2010, earthquake, and ways that people can still help.

Blog on AlertNet on the media's criticism of the humanitarian response in Haiti, and why it's simultaneously incomplete, appropriate and constructive.

U.S. Department of State fact sheet on an agreement to develop the North Industrial Park in Haiti to create 20,000 permanent jobs.

Progress report by InterAction member Medical Teams International on their work in Haiti since the January 12, 2010, earthquake.

The World Conference on Disaster Reduction was held by decision of the United Nations General Assembly in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan on 18-22 January 20051. It adopted the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 (HFA) as a systematic, strategic blueprint to guide national and international efforts to reduce vulnerabilities and risks induced by naturally occurring hazards and human-made processes.

Transcript of a U.S. Department of State Special Briefing on the one-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, from January 7, 2011.

Transcript of a U.S. Department of State Special Briefing on Health Concerns in Haiti on January 10, 2011.

InterAction member Catholic Relief Services' one-year report on their work since the earthquake on January 12, 2010, in Haiti.

A March 2010 report from InterAction member Oxfam on re-envisioning Haiti with "equity, fairness, and opportunity" after the January 12, 2010, earthquake.

An article from NPR's website exploring both sides of the debate on the funds NGOs in Haiti have raised since the January 12, 2010, earthquake compared to how much they have spent.

An article from the Associated Press (AP) on some of the hurdles facing Haiti's reconstruction after the January 12, 2010, earthquake.

Agence France Presse (AFP) article in the Montreal Gazette exploring both sides of the debate on NGOs in Haiti.

The purpose of the revision process was not to change the qualitative standards, nor to overhaul the Handbook, but to update the qualitative and quantitative indicators and guidance notes as needed, and to improve the overall structure and consistency of the text.

Joint press statement released by InterAction and 38 of its members on January 10, 2011, regarding the reconstruction in Haiti leading up to the one year anniversary of the earthquake in Port-au-Prince.

The March 2011 issue of Monday Developments Magazine

Article published in the Wichita Eagle in Kansas on money donated to Haiti after the January 12, 2010, earthquake. InterAction's president and CEO, Samuel A. Worthington, was interviewed.

One year progress report from InterAction member the International Rescue Committee (IRC) after the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.

InterAction member EDC's one year progress report after the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti.

An article in Forbes on the dangers of using entirely foreign contractors to rebuild Haiti.

As the January 9 referenda in south Sudan and Abyei approach, so do the possibilities for violence and humanitarian crises. The United Nations has mapped out potential flashpoints for conflict and drawn up detailed contingency plans, but many critical challenges remain unresolved.

African leaders have recently expressed concern that the possible division of Sudan may lead to a domino effect of other secessions on the continent—but closer analysis questions how likely this may be.

Africa’s borders are largely accepted; it is only a distinct few cases (including Sudan) in which
they could be reconsidered.

This report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 11 of Security Council resolution 1590 (2005), in which the Council requested that it be kept regularly informed of progress made in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in the Sudan.

As Southern Sudan prepares for a referendum that will determine whether it will become a separate country, public opinion research by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) shows significant support for independence and a strong desire for the referendum to be held on time.

•Since its establishment five years ago under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) has struggled to create a justice system that reflects the values and requirements for justice among the people of Southern Sudan. For both political and practical reasons, chiefs’ courts and customary law are central to this endeavor.

•With Southern Sudan’s referendum on whether to remain part of Sudan or secede approaching, it is vital that the international community encourage and support negotiations on postreferendum arrangements, which include issues ranging from wealth sharing to citizenship rights to security arrangements. Good coordination among the international community will be essential.

Not long before the UN-run popular consultation in East Timor in 1999, an Indonesian general told me that if the East Timorese voted for independence, Indonesia would surely break apart. He cited the centrifugal forces at work that would pull the diverse country to pieces. In effect, East Timor’s departure would set the dominos in motion.

An International Rescue Committee (IRC) medical team is delivering health care services to more than 3,500 newly displaced people, mostly women and children, who took refuge in Northern Bahr el Ghazal after their villages along the north-south border were hit by Sudanese army bombers.

In about two months, Africa may have a new country, the first since the end of the colonial era. On Jan. 9, the people of southern Sudan are expected to vote in a referendum to determine whether their region will become an independent nation.

The Sudanese Network for Democratic Elections (SuNDE), a coalition of over 75 non-partisan civil society organizations located in all ten states of Southern Sudan, developed and released a set of recommendations on September 8, 2010 to ensure a timely, transparent, peaceful, and fair referendum process.

President Barack Obama's presence at a high-level meeting on Sudan at the United Nations on September 24 was the most recent sign of his administration's intensified diplomatic efforts to avert a catastrophic return to war in Africa's largest state. On January 9, southern Sudan is scheduled to vote in two referenda.

Testimony of Michel Gabaudan
President of Refugees International
September 30, 2010
Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, U.S. House of Representatives

This report makes several recommendations for Sudanese leaders and international actors:

The Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC)’s strategic plan for the remainder of its mandate. Report issued December 2010.

This report offers international agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the U.S. government, the media, and the public an overview of the humanitarian and development assistance being provided to the people of Afghanistan by InterAction member agencies.

The capacity to respond to the urgent needs of vulnerable people in emergencies around the world is a central pillar of the U.S. government's foreign assistance portfolio. It should exemplify the impartial outpouring of humanitarian response in the wake of unthinkable tragedy.

“For the first time, there’s been an attempt to rationalize the role of U.S. diplomats and development officers around the world and how diplomacy and development advance U.S.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released the long-awaited Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) on Wednesday, December 15, 2010, the result of a 17-month review of U.S. development and diplomacy policies. Called “Leading Through Civilian Power”, if offers a blueprint to better coordinate diplomacy and development in order that U.S.

InterAction members continue to respond to the cholera outbreak in Haiti. Find more information on our crisis response page.

InterAction members continue to respond to the cholera outbreak in Haiti. The international humanitarian community and Haiti’s government are acting quickly and coordinating efforts to respond to the outbreak and prevent further spread of the disease.

After a brief hiatus due to the mid-term elections, the weekly update is back!

Originally developed as part of InterAction's Africa Liaison Program Inititiative (ALPI) to foster relationships between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and nongovernmental organizations in the U.S.

The earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12 was devastating. As with most crises, women and girls were among both the most vulnerable and the most overlooked. Within the first week, reports of sexual violence emerged, as did stories of women and girls struggling to access assistance and living in crowded and unsafe camps.

The September 2010 issue of Monday Developments Magazine

 InterAction suggests that the Administration consider the MDGs as a key issue to the U.S. foreign policy and urges President Obama to take the lead in supporting the MDGs.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee introduces a CR in support of the MDGs.

The worst flood to hit Pakistan in 80 years has left at least three million people in need of emergency assistance.

InterAction President and CEO Samuel A. Worthington testifies before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere on Thursday, July 29, 2010.

Six months after a disastrous earthquake struck Haiti, CRWRC remains hard at work responding to the many needs that this disaster caused.

4:53pm: A 7.0 earthquake hits Haiti. 17 minutes later International Medical Corps is preparing our Emergency Response Team. Within 5 hours, medical volunteers are deploying. 22 hours after the earthquake, we are saving lives on the ground in Port-au-Prince, working side-by-side with our Haitian medical counterparts.

Since January 12, WHI has launched an emergency response program that mobilizes its extraordinary capacity in the most severely affected areas focusing on health, psychosocial care, sensitization, potable water, sanitation, food, income-generating activities and workforce employment.

On January 12, 2010, a devastating earthquake—the worst natural disaster to hit the Western Hemisphere in two centuries—struck Haiti, killing approximately 300,000 people and leaving as many as one million homeless.

Full resolution quicktime movie (766mb)

High web quality quicktime movie (55mb)

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Six months after Haiti’s devastating 7.0 earthquake, Lutheran World Relief (LWR) remains hard at work assisting those who are still dealing with its aftermath and will be for years to come. LWR, with a 14-year history in Haiti, is focusing the majority of its efforts on underserved rural populations.

Since the earthquake, BWAid has been helping in Haiti through a network of agencies. Immediately following the earthquake the two Haitian member bodies of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) were contacted and assistance offered. This close link with the two bodies remains as we work together.

From the immediate hours after the quake and ongoing, in all, CWS efforts - including the distribution of hygiene, school and baby kits, tents, wheelchairs, medical kits and other supplies -- have directly assisted at least 41,750 individuals so far; CWS is also working as a member of the global ACT Alliance, which has provided assistance to 341,000 Haitians.
 

During the half-year since an earthquake unleashed massive destruction in Haiti, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has been devoted to both providing immediate assistance to survivors and laying the groundwork for a large-scale, long-term recovery effort.  Haiti is not out of the woods yet, not by a long shot.

As members of the international community gather in Kabul for the International Conference on Afghanistan, InterAction is pleased that the expected focus of the conference is “Afghan priorities for the Afghan people”.

To continue supporting Haiti after the 7.0 earthquake on January 12, Giving Children Hope is transitioning from an immediate recovery response to a season of long-term reconstruction.  To date, Giving Children Hope has distributed over $7 million worth of life-saving medicines, medical supplies and other relief items.

6 months later, Haitians are still struggling to rebuild their nation after a devastating earthquake hit the country in January.

Agencies and donors participating in the ongoing recovery and rehabilitation efforts in Haiti are in need of current information about where assistance is needed and which areas of response are already being addressed. The U.S.

Six months after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, there is still much to be done, however, the communities Plant With Purpose works with have made significant progress by planting trees, constructing soil conservation barriers, and providing incomes to support their families through our “Cash for Work” program.

The humanitarian community has achieved a great deal in responding to the earthquake that struck Haiti six months ago. This report outlines the accomplishments of the humanitarian organizations represented in the IASC, and the valuable lessons learned through their efforts.

Letter signed by 33 InterAction members to the Speaker of the House, House and Senate Majority Leaders and Ranking members urging them to give immediate priority to the FY10 supplemental funding measure.

Almost a year since more than three million people fled fighting in Pakistan’s Swat valley and surrounding areas, the crisis is far from over. Over a million people are displaced, more are being forced into displacement every day, and two million are struggling to rebuild their lives after returning to their homes to find their villages destroyed.

In response to the administration’s December 2009 Pakistan Assistance Strategy Report, InterAction members applaud the U.S.

This is the latest version of InterAction's budget table, which include numbers from the President's FY2011 Budget Request and the FY2010 Supplemental Request.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks at the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit on Thursday, December 17, 2009. 

Response to discussion in the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) rewrite process with ten proposed reforms and other responses/suggestions from the InterAction community.

See also: HFAC Discussion Paper #1

Report of InterAction member organizations' activities in Iraq for 2009.

Press Release from the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the Committee's approval of the Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act of 2009.

Statement from InterAction President & CEO Samuel A. Worthington on the nomination of Dr. Rajiv Shah to head the U.S. Agency for International Development.

A progress report on [short version of title] since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on West Bank and Gaza since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on U.S. development assistance funding trends for FY 2010 since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on U.S. development assistance funding trends since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report about Sudan and the need to ensure access to those who require assistance since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on Sudan and engaging international partners in the Darfur conflict since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report about the naming of a special U.S. envoy in Sudan since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on the MDGs and U.S. national strategy on development since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on Nominating an MCC CEO since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

The introduction of the progress report since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment: Creation of office for global women's issues since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on Democratic Republic of the Congo: Asserting U.S. Leadership since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

A progress report on the Obama administration's foreign assistance efforts since publication of InterAction’s 2008 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

Letter from Sens. John Kerry and Richard Lugar to President Obama urging a nomination for a USAID Administrator

 Reaction from InterAction to the 2009 G20 Final Communique

 Text of the Final Communique issued by leaders of the G20 member states

On October 29th and 30th almost 100 representatives from NGOs, the U.S. government, the UN, academic institutions and think tanks met to discuss how emergency programming in health can be better implemented to facilitate a smoother transition to recovery and development. InterAction and the U.S.

Meeting request from InterAction President & CEO Samuel Worthington to Obama transition team members Aaron Williams and Gayle Smith  to discuss the Obama administration’s plans for engaging with the NGO community in connection with USAID’s proposed Partner Vetting System.

This policy brief is part of a larger series in InterAction’s 2009 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

This policy brief is part of a larger series in InterAction’s 2009 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

This policy brief is part of a larger series in InterAction’s 2009 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

This policy brief is part of a larger series in InterAction’s 2009 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

This policy brief is part of a larger series in InterAction’s 2009 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

This policy brief is part of a larger series in InterAction’s 2009 Foreign Assistance Briefing Book.

Critical Problems, Recommendations, and actions for the Obama Administration and the 111th Congress

The current effort to reform US foreign assistance grew out of an understandable desire to better align US assistance with US interests and to improve the coordination, efficiency and transparency of that aid.