DEARBORN —Members from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) paid a visit to the city of Dearborn last week, where they held a private meeting with local leaders at the Arab American National Museum located on Michigan Ave last Friday. Minutes before their meeting, we had a sit-down with several members from USAID, including Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah, Deputy Assistant Administrator Christa Capozzola, Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Middle East Hady Amr and Middle East Office Director Ricki Gold, to discuss issues pertaining to the Middle East regarding the U.S.’s efforts to provide aid for several countries that are currently suffering through drastic political climate changes. 

Dr. Rajiv Shah

Dr. Shah, who was born to Hindu immigrant parents and is a former resident of West Bloomfield, stated that the organization  has a strategic plan under the guidance of President Obama to assist refugees who have been impacted by the Arab spring. One point of discussion was in regards to the growing concerns of living conditions in the country of Syria, and the efforts made to assist civilians who need urgent aid. Dr. Shah says that USAID has set up a strong base in Jordan to help many of the Syrian refugees. 

“I had the chance recently to visit Jordan and met with Syrian refugees who were coming across the border. We are doing everything to help build up a refugee camp there and make efforts to provide water to 1.7 million people in the north of the country, and to enable them to have the resources to take in about 18,000 Syrian students in the Jordanian schools…we have a very strong program of engagement there,” Dr. Shah stated. 

Dr. Shah says the efforts they have made in Syria has so far reached over 950,000 people, who have been able to gain access to food and water through USAID’s efforts. Local hospitals have also been supplied with medical equipment, according to Dr. Shah.  So far over $130 million in aid has been provided to the country of Syria alone. 

But Syria is not the only country on USAID’s radar. Dr. Shah also pointed out the strong humanitarian efforts made in the country of Yemen, which already suffers drastically for being one of the poorest countries in the world.  USAID has been planning both short-term and long-term efforts to help assist residents who have been lacking in both the food and educational departments, especially in the southern region of the county.

“We have a very active effort to help particularly the southern part of Yemen, where they had been governed by Al-Qaeda, and the Yemeni military has cleared them out. USAID has helped them to demise the schools and community centers and provide food and water for families who are returning to their homes after what has been a persistent period of conflict and struggle. We also provide very significant humanitarian assistance to a community where now 5.2 million people face food insecurity.  The bottom line is the president has directed us to be as supportive as we can with people in these counties as they go through these transitions,” Dr. Shah added. 

Also discussed during the sit-down was the dire situation for some Iraqi civilians, who fled Iraq and re-located to Syria during the Iraq war but now are trying to return home after the uprising in Syria. Deputy Assistant Administrator Christa Capozzola says USAID is aware of these groups of people and says they have reached out to them as well.

“The humanitarian situation inside of Syria for the refugees of Iraq is very large, and yes, there are Iraqis since the conflict has started in Syria that have been returning to Iraq in large numbers, and the humanitarian support will follow them as they try to return,” Capozzola stated. 

Dr. Shah says the purpose of the visit to Dearborn was to try to gather some insight from the Arab American community and to also hear of any concerns they might have, stating that the support of the Arab American community is very vital to the success of their humanitarian efforts in the region. 

“It’s very important that we listen to and learn from the Arab American community who have long had relationship and knowledge about these communities in the Middle East. Through many of our efforts, we already partner with Syrian American doctors and medical specialists, or with Libyan American financial  specialists who have gone back to help create a transparent financial system, as that government gets up and manages it’s own revenue and financial expenditures. We believe there is a tremendous amount of potential and we need to make sure we build a relationship with the Arab American community and listen and learn about some ideas and insights, and hopefully expand our partnerships so we can have Arab Americans across this country help usher in a new era in that part of the world,” Dr. Shah said. 

The best way for locals to help according to the USAID is through cash donations to some of the humanitarian organizations who are working to provide aid to countries in the Middle East. Two of those organizations include the Center for International Disaster Information at www.cidi.org or the office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) at //donate.unhcr.org/.