USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA) leads U.S. Government (USG) international food assistance efforts and works with partners to alleviate hunger and build resilience in communities facing recurrent crises. In FY 2023, support from USAID/BHA enabled partners to deliver life-saving food assistance across a range of modalities—including cash transfers for food; food vouchers; local, regional, or internationally procured (LRIP) food; and U.S. in-kind food aid—to populations affected by conflict, natural disasters, and other shocks. USAID/BHA partners assess market conditions, feasibility, programmatic purpose, and cost effectiveness when determining which modalities are most appropriate for delivering food assistance across varying contexts. USAID/BHA also promotes a flexible approach to programming based on the context and needs of targeted populations and supports the provision of both conditional and unconditional assistance in humanitarian response.
In addition, USAID/BHA helps meet emergency food needs by supporting innovative technologies—such as electronic vouchers (e-vouchers) and mobile money—and helping partners to rapidly scale up food assistance after sudden-onset shocks through pre-positioned food in disaster-prone regions.
