Money Matters: How the United States spends its humanitarian aid

The United States is the world’s biggest bilateral donor. Its spending on aid accounts for over a quarter of the total official development assistance, or ODA, from the Development Assistance Committee member countries. We looked into the numbers to find how the U.S. spends this money. + Are there topics you want to read more about in Money Matters? We want your feedback. American dollars The U.S. spends a lot of money on humanitarian aid. My colleague Miguel Antonio Tamonan’s analysis shows that from 2012 to 2021, the U.S. humanitarian spending more than tripled. But the world’s largest economy was 15th among donors when its spending was measured against its gross national income, according to a report in last year’s Development Initiatives’ Global Humanitarian Assistance Report. Miguel broke down the numbers and found out where it's all going, so you don’t have to. Read: How much has the US spent on humanitarian aid? (Pro) + Try out Devex Pro Funding today with a free five-day trial, and explore funding opportunities from over 850 sources in addition to our analysis and news content. Funding activity We publish tenders, grants, and other funding announcements on our Funding Platform. Here are some of the ones that have been viewed the most in the past 10 days. 🦠AfDB is seeking technical assistance from consultants to detect, respond to, and mitigate the health and economic impacts of COVID-19 across the African continent. 🏡DG-INTPA is providing a $5.3 million (€ 5 million) grant to promote urban integrated development and strengthen climate resilience in urban neighborhoods in Tanzania. 🚰 JICA signed agreements worth $22 million (¥3 billion) to enhance disease prevention and WASH facilities in Afghanistan. 🫒 NORAD invites civil society organizations to help increase access to markets for small-scale food producers in sub-Saharan Africa. 🖥️ The U.N. is seeking partners to provide vulnerable young people in Jordan with training on basic and advanced digital skills. ☁️ The World Bank announced a $73 million grant to expand services to disadvantaged populations, and mitigate climate change and disaster risks in the Palestinian territories. What’s ‘local’ in localization The debate over what “local” means when it comes to localization bubbled up last week once again. Publish What You Fund, a U.K.-based organization, said in a report that the way USAID decides what makes up a local organization overestimates the money that flows to actual local organizations. USAID says that its goal to spend a quarter of its funding by 2025 means that cash will be going “directly to local actors.” Who is right? Read my piece trying to parse that one out. Read: USAID overestimating localization spending, transparency group claims Also read: How localization efforts are ‘missing the mark’ — and what to do next (Pro) ICYMI: How USAID will define 'local' in its funding targets (Pro) + Register to join Devex Business Editor David Ainsworth on March 14 for an insightful conversation with the CEOs of Catholic Relief Services, FHI 360, and Save the Children about the role of international NGOs in localization. Finally prospering A U.S. government initiative to improve trade and investment with Africa has struggled. But is Prosper Africa finally getting its act in order? Maybe, reports my colleague Adva Saldinger. It’s now hiring staff, expanding outreach to businesses, and spreading the word about what it has to offer. But some African watchers are skeptical, pointing out that a lack of funding and sometimes a wrong focus have constrained its success. It has also struggled to communicate its mission, which has led to a lack of clarity about what it does, several experts tell Adva. Read: Can Prosper Africa actually boost trade and investment in Africa? (Pro) Backgrounder: Biden administration launches reboot of Prosper Africa initiative Taking the lead African countries’ struggle to secure the funding needed to fight COVID-19 is a lesson the continent doesn’t want to repeat. So the African Union has started the Africa Epidemics Fund — a new pool of financing to help countries prepare and respond to pandemic threats on the continent. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead the fundraising for the fund, reports my colleague Sara Jerving. “In just a few months, we should be up and running,” says Dr. Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, acting director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Read: South African president to lead fundraising for new AU epidemics fund Also read: Africa CDC criticizes exclusion from Pandemic Fund Sign up to Money Matters for an inside look at the biggest stories in development funding.