Working with Congress, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced it intends to provide more than $59 million, subject to the availability of funds, in programming in Central America to address gender-based violence (GBV), and advance human rights, HIV prevention and care, and economic growth.
USAID intends to provide a total of $44.5 million to combat GBV, a root cause of irregular migration from Central America. In Guatemala, $10.6 million would go towards addressing the social, economic, justice, and security aspects of GBV in select municipalities. In Honduras, $10 million would strengthen interventions to prevent GBV, increasing the chance of breaking cycles of violence. This new funding builds on the December 2022 announcement of the $23.9 million initial investment in GBV programming in El Salvador.
In El Salvador, USAID intends to provide $5.4 million aimed at increasing employment and incomes by growing the number of small-scale commercial farmers. The programs would work to improve livelihoods, incomes, and resiliency – especially among rural youth and women.
USAID also announced $8 million in funds for programs to promote and protect human rights in Guatemala. Additionally, an initial $1.3 million in PEPFAR funding was announced to help launch awards to local organizations supporting the Central America regional HIV Care and Treatment Programs in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama.
USAID work is a key component to the Administration’s Root Causes Strategy to address irregular migration in North Central America. The strategy supports programs that create economic opportunities in the region for people to live, work, and learn in safety and dignity, contribute to and benefit from the democratic process, have confidence in public institutions, and enjoy opportunities to create futures for themselves and their families at home.