Catholic Relief Services and the US Department of Agriculture announced an agreement on Tuesday to deliver $235 million in emergency food and nutrition aid to Sudan and Ethiopia, two countries especially hard-hit by a hunger crisis affecting at 70 million people across East Africa.
Crux Now exchanged at length with senior officials at both CRS and USDA ahead of the public announcement of the agreement, which involves grants for purchase and delivery of 110,000 metric tons of staple foodstuffs.
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USDA’s Deputy Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Michelle Bekkering, told Crux Now the agreement is designed to reach the people most in need with the highest quality foodstuffs as quickly as possible, in a way that benefits U.S. agricultural producers.
“These agreements are grants,” Bekkering said, “this means the money is available as soon as awards are signed and will be disbursed as the implementor requests an advance or reimbursement.”
“This is standard practice for grant agreements,” she said, “and enhances accountability and oversight.”
Bekkering also said the principles guiding the USDA include “commodities procured must be 100% U.S. origin,” as well as “strict accountability measures to prevent fraud, waste, abuse,” and a reduction in “long-term dependency on foreign aid.”
Bekkering said USDA saw CRS’s proven track record and vision of service as a great fit for the partnership.
“CRS has an established food assistance response presence in the region through the Sudan Emergency Project and Joint Emergency Operation (Ethiopia),” she said, adding that “CRS has proven capability to deliver food assistance in insecure and high-risk environments.”
Below, please find the full exchange between Crux Now and USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Michelle Bekkering, edited for clarity…
Crux Now: The Agreement in Principle with CRS is for ‘up to $235 million in in emergency food and nutrition assistance for Sudan and Ethiopia’: How much of that total figure will be available immediately / in short order?
USDA Deputy Undersecretary Michelle Bekkering: These agreements are grants – this means the money is available as soon as awards are signed and will be disbursed as the implementor requests an advance or reimbursement.
This is standard practice for grant agreements and enhances accountability and oversight.
Is the $235 million figure representative of the total value of the aid package (or, is there a cash / credit element to the package?
$235 million represents the whole figure to Catholic Relief Services for work in Sudan and Ethiopia – including commodity purchase, commodity transport, and program implementation costs.
Each country will have a separate agreement with a different total value subject to final negotiations.
Has USDA purchased the foodstuffs from US producers already / Will USDA be purchasing from US producers?
For the Sudan and Ethiopia agreements with CRS, USDA will purchase U.S. commodities once the agreements are signed, and CRS requests the commodities via the USDA commodity procurement systems.
These will be competitively procured similar to our other international food assistance programming.
What foodstuffs are going to the needy populations?
While the exact mix is subject to final negotiations with CRS, USDA relies on its standard, high-quality commodity basket offerings.
This typically includes a mix of U.S.-grown fortified grains, pulses, and vegetable oils tailored to meet the immediate nutritional needs of vulnerable populations.
Why is USDA partnering with CRS, specifically? (What makes CRS the right partner?)
CRS has an established food assistance response presence in the region through the Sudan Emergency Project and Joint Emergency Operation (Ethiopia). CRS has proven capability to deliver food assistance in insecure and high-risk environments.
USDA is “picking up the ball” so to speak, from USAID, late last year: How has the structural shift affected US emergency and development aid delivery?
USDA is redefining the way that Food for Peace is being implemented.
The guiding principles defining our work include: commodities procured must be 100% U.S. origin; strict accountability measures to prevent fraud, waste, abuse; and long-term dependency on foreign aid will be reduced.
USDA is also coordinating closely with the Department of State as it implements Food for Peace.
Have the governments of Sudan and Ethiopia requested food aid — Crux Now understand s this is the usual process — and if so, when did they make the request and how?
For this agreement in principle, the decision to provide food assistance to Sudan and Ethiopia was made by USDA based on information from and conversations with Catholic Relief Services and our overseas Embassies.
USDA also consulted with the Famine Early Warning Network and coordinated closely with the Department of State.
CRS will coordinate with the government of Ethiopia’s Disaster Risk Management Commission to identify beneficiaries and respond to requests for support.
As precisely as possible, how is USDA enforcing accountability?
As a key component of the America First approach, accountability is being enforced through all available mechanisms.
Notable among them: Requiring recurring financial and programmatic reporting, strong monitoring efforts via our Foreign Service Officers at post when appropriate, using in-country third-party monitoring, requiring enhanced commodity monitoring plans.
Also notable among the mechanisms: Binding grant agreements to the usage of government-wide regulations in the Uniform Guidance, and binding grant agreements to the applicable Foreign Agricultural Service General Terms and Conditions and the imbedded USDA General Terms and Conditions for Federal Awards.
Follow Chris Altieri on X: @craltieri