Media Contact: Brendan Daly, [email protected], (202) 794-1580
Washington, D.C. (September 7, 2017) – The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved the fiscal year 2018 Department of State and Foreign Operations (SFOPs) Appropriations bill, which includes funding for maternal and child health, nutrition programs, migration and refugees and other critical development programs, including basic education and agriculture.
The Committee rejected the Administration’s proposed budget for international affairs, protecting funding for key development and humanitarian programs that impact women and children globally.
“At a time when the number of children living in refugee camps is increasing and more than 3.5 million refugee children are without access to education, we are glad to see the Senate has recognized the importance of investing in overseas assistance for refugees,” said Carolyn Miles, President and CEO of Save the Children. “With more than 20 million people in Africa and Yemen facing famine-like conditions, the strong investment in international disaster assistance and food security is critical.”
Mark Shriver, president of Save the Children Action Network (SCAN), applauded the Committee for committing to ending preventable child and maternal deaths and for providing an increase in funding to the USAID Maternal and Child Health Account.
“Investing in women and children around the world is an investment in creating a safer more secure world,” he said. “Ending preventable child and maternal deaths is within our reach, and Congress’ support will enable the world to inch closer to achieving that goal.”
Miles and Shriver said they are disappointed by the proposed cuts to international basic education and urged the Senate Appropriations Committee to support a higher level of funding international basic education in the final budget. Such funding will help children around the world receive quality primary education that enables them to survive and thrive.
Highlights of the bill include:
- Maternal and Child Health – $829.5 million ($15 million more than the fiscal year 2017 budget)
- Nutrition – $125 million
- Basic Education – $500 million
- Agriculture/Feed the Future – $1.006 billion
- International Disaster Assistance – $3.133 billion
- Migration and Refugee Assistance – $3.110 billion
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