ADMINISTRATOR SAMANTHA POWER: This year, USAID staff around the world truly went above and beyond - working every day to advance freedom, security, and dignity in the face of daunting challenges.
In a complex world, we found solutions, we built new and diverse coalitions, and we worked together to drive what will be lasting progress.
We responded to 84 humanitarian crises in 66 countries, providing life-saving aid to tens of millions of people, including those affected by devastating conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine.
We launched the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future , bringing together more than 60 countries and organizations to end childhood lead poisoning in developing countries. Thanks in part to development diplomacy from USAID teams across the globe, 12 countries, representing over a billion people, have developed plans this year to conduct blood lead level surveys.
We mobilized more than $517 million from government, private sector, and philanthropic partners to help democratic reformers deliver - and we welcomed Guatemala and Fiji as new members of our Democracy Delivers Initiative .
In another year of record-breaking temperatures and storms, we supported nearly 100 countries as they invested in resilient infrastructure, renewable energy, and natural resource management - more than double the number that we worked with to address climate change back in 2021.
We continued to support the Ukrainian people in their fight to decide their own future -
and we responded to Putin's ruthless attacks on the country's energy system by making essential repairs and protecting vital infrastructure to help keep the lights on and the heat running.
We created a new independent office dedicated to digital transformation so that we can better support our partners in building open, safe, and inclusive digital ecosystems.
And we've undertaken a concerted effort to focus our investments on what works to get the highest possible impact out of every dollar we spend, including by improving the cost-effectiveness of more than $1.5 billion in USAID programming.
Thank you to everyone at USAID - your work is making a profound difference.
I wish you all peace and joy this holiday season.
