Ambassador Cherith Norman Chalet
Acting Deputy Permanent Representative
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, New York
September 24, 2020
AS DELIVERED
Excellencies and distinguished guests, a very warm welcome this morning, afternoon, or evening, wherever you may be watching.
On behalf of Ambassador Craft and the United States, thank you for joining this very timely dialogue on global humanitarian needs.
I am honored to introduce to this conversation Deputy U.S. Secretary of State Stephen Biegun and Acting USAID Administrator John Barsa, as well as other senior leaders from the top ten humanitarian donor nations and UN agencies working in concert to address the international humanitarian needs.
The already enormous challenge of responding to global humanitarian concerns has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. And as we speak, nearly 170 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance around the world, and more than 90 million of those require food assistance.
For the past 75 years, the United States remains the world’s largest funder of humanitarian action, contributing more than $9 billion to this cause in our last fiscal year alone.
The ten donor governments participating today share this same commitment, this same determination to diminish human suffering, stabilize communities in crisis, and in so doing enhance our collective security.
My sincerest thanks to all those participating at today’s event, and now it is my great pleasure and honor to invite Deputy Secretary Biegun to address this gathering.
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