US State Dept Launches Steering Council To Oversee Humanitarian Assistance - Pompeo

The State Department has established a new mechanism aimed at supervising US humanitarian aid, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced in a statement on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th November, 2018) The State Department has established a new mechanism aimed at supervising US humanitarian aid, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced in a statement on Tuesday.

"In order to further optimize the State Department and USAID's humanitarian assistance, I have established a new senior-level mechanism for coordinating and overseeing US humanitarian assistance - the Humanitarian Assistance Steering Council," Pompeo said.

Pompeo said the new mechanism would improve oversight and accountability across the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, and USAID's Bureau of Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance.

"The purpose of the Council is to coordinate US government efforts in order to achieve seamless, efficient, and effective delivery of humanitarian assistance overseas in support of US foreign policy objectives, including promoting burden-sharing and UN humanitarian reform," the secretary added.

Ambassador Nathan Sales, with his delegated authorities as under secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, and head of the Bureau of Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance Tim Ziemer will co-lead the Council, according to the statement.