USAID’S Assured Assistance: USAID’s Humanitarian Aid in Latin America and the Caribbean 2001- 2019

Abstract

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). A quantitative analysis of USAID’s disaster relief funding for LAC from 2001- 2019 was conducted to determine trends and effectiveness of its contracting. The findings demonstrate that USAID provides billions in assistance to increase foreign trade, but project results are ambiguous. The United States views short-term assistance programs as investments for long-term growth in globalized economies. It is recommended that LAC for-profit and non-profit organizations follow a similar strategy and capitalize on the assured assistance of USAID. Keywords: Foreign aid; foreign policy; disaster relief; NGO; GO; contracting.