Kamala Harris pledges $310 million aid for Central America to tackle surge in migration

United States Vice President Kamala Harris on April 26 announced that the US will provide $310 million in humanitarian relief to Central America to assist the region in tackling the fresh wave of migration north following the meeting with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei through Zoom. Harris has been appointed by US President Joe Biden to address the influx of migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to the US-Mexico border. She met with Giammattei by videoconference before kickstarting her visit to Central America which is presently scheduled for June.

“In light of the dire situation and acute suffering faced by millions of people in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, Vice President Harris announced an additional $310 million in U.S. government support for humanitarian relief and to address food insecurity,” a fact sheet released by White House on Monday stated.

Out of the total $310 aid for Central America, $255 million will go to humanitarian relief while $55 million will go toward addressing food insecurity in the region. As Harris tackles the issue of migrants, the COVID-19 pandemic has reportedly taken a massive toll on Latin America with coronavirus infections and casualties related to the disease soaring in the region. According to the Congressional Research Service, the plunge in economic growth in 2020 is expected to further decline income inequality and poverty prevailing in the region.

Harris on elevating US-Guatemala ties

The announcement came hours after Harris met with Giammattei virtually in which US Vice President told him, “The United States plans to increase relief to the region; strengthen our cooperation to manage migration in an effective, secure, and humane manner. And in addition to our bilateral work and our multilateral efforts, the United States is building a comprehensive strategy with international institutions, with allies around the globe, with foundations here in the United States, and the private sector as well as community organizations.”

Biden on March 24 said that Vice President Kamala Harris “speaks for me” as he appointed her to lead the diplomatic front of controlling the drastic increase of migrants at the US-Mexico border. Biden also noted that he is handing over a “tough job” to Harris to slow the migration at the southern border following a huge influx of new arrivals. However, US President added that the Vice President is also the “most qualified person to do it.” The number of migrants has surged since Biden took the office in January this year. 

Image credits: AP