Today in Nassau, The Bahamas, Vice President Kamala Harris highlighted more than $100 million, including $98 million in new funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to address climate, energy, food security, and humanitarian assistance in the Caribbean. During her trip, the Vice President co-hosted the U.S.-Caribbean Leaders Meeting, alongside Prime Minister Philip Davis of The Bahamas, current chair of the Caribbean Community, building on her meeting with Caribbean leaders in June 2022 at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles.
Transitioning to Renewable Energy and Addressing Climate Change Impacts in the Caribbean
To support the region’s transition to renewable energy and increase energy efficiency, working with Congress and subject to the availability of funds, USAID intends to provide $20 million in funding to companies with financial and technical assistance and business development services through the Caribbean Climate Investment Program. This programming will also support the establishment of the Blue-Green Investment Corporation in partnership with the Government of Barbados, the Green Climate Fund, and private sector investors. With an estimated initial capitalization of $30 million by non-U.S. government partners, this public-private “green bank” is expected to unlock up to $210 million over three years to finance projects such as climate resilient housing, renewable energy, clean transportation, and water conservation firstly in Barbados, and later expanding to other Caribbean countries, including those in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean.
USAID is also providing nearly $15 million to support disaster risk reduction, emergency response capacity strengthening, and resilience building across the Caribbean. This funding will bring the total investment by USAID in disaster risk reduction and resilience building in the Caribbean to over $80 million over the past five years.
Vice President Harris also announced support for the Caribbean Island states’ response to the impacts of climate change. USAID is providing $1.5 million to the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre to increase the flow of international climate funding and help strengthen key data tools for decision-making for Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries.
USAID is also providing $1 million to partner with the Caribbean Islands Higher Education Resilience Consortium and Northeastern University to help mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, including the risks associated with extreme weather events. This work will also pursue economic development opportunities associated with building a resilient blue and green economy.
Haiti Food Security
Working with Congress, USAID intends to provide $10.5 million to Haiti to enhance resilience and productivity in the country’s agricultural and livestock sector. Through market strengthening, research, and innovation, this funding will increase market system efficiency, private sector engagement, and the ability of households and communities to recover from shocks and stresses. These programs will collectively contribute to increased resilience, sustainable agriculture, and improved food security in Haiti.
Haiti Humanitarian Response Funding
USAID is also providing an additional nearly $54 million for the people of Haiti in response to the country’s humanitarian crisis. Haiti’s alarming levels of gang violence, including attacks on civilians, have prevented people from accessing critical food, safe drinking water, and other basic supplies. This new funding will provide vulnerable Haitians with urgently needed humanitarian assistance, including vital food assistance, as 4.9 million people face acute food insecurity amid the crisis. In addition, these funds will provide access to safe drinking water and health care, as well as support care for survivors of gender-based violence and other protection services for the most vulnerable. This brings USAID’s total FY 2023 funding for humanitarian response activities in Haiti to more than $110 million.
The United States will continue to partner with the people of the Caribbean to provide urgent humanitarian assistance, facilitate climate adaptation and resilience, support the transition to renewable energy, and mitigate food insecurity in the region. USAID’s climate work in the Caribbean supports Biden-Harris Administration priorities and works to advance the goals of the U.S.-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis 2030, or PACC 2030, of which USAID is a key partner. PACC 2030 is the U.S. government’s flagship partnership with the Caribbean to advance climate adaptation and resilience and clean energy cooperation through 2030 as we work toward meeting the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. [USAID Press Release]
