| Abstrakt: |
Foreign assistance is a fundamental component of the international affairs budget and is viewed by many as an essential instrument of U.S. foreign policy. On the basis of national security, commercial, and humanitarian rationales, U.S. assistance flows through many federal agencies and supports myriad objectives, including promoting economic growth, reducing poverty, improving governance, expanding access to health care and education, promoting stability in conflictive regions, countering terrorism, promoting human rights, strengthening allies, and curbing illicit drug production and trafficking. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, foreign aid has increasingly been associated with national security policy. At the same time, foreign aid is seen by many Americans, and Members of Congress, as an expense that the United States cannot afford given current budget deficits. In FY2015, U.S. foreign assistance, defined broadly, was estimated at $48.57 billion, or 1.3% of total federal budget authority. About 43% of this assistance was for bilateral economic development programs, including political/strategic economic assistance; 35% for military aid and non-military security assistance; 16% for humanitarian activities; and 6% to support the work of multilateral institutions. Assistance can take the form of cash transfers, equipment and commodities, infrastructure, or technical assistance, and, in recent decades, is provided almost exclusively on a grant rather than loan basis. The United States is the largest foreign aid donor in the world, accounting for about 24% of total official development assistance from major donor governments in 2014 (latest year for which this data is available). Key foreign assistance trends in the past decade include growth in development aid, particularly global health programs; increased security assistance directed toward U.S. allies in the antiterrorism effort; and high levels of humanitarian assistance to address a range of crises, from the earthquake in Haiti to the violence in Syria. Adjusted for inflation, annual foreign assistance funding over the past decade was the highest it has been since the Marshall Plan in the years immediately following World War II. In FY2015, Afghanistan, Israel, Iraq, Egypt, and Jordan were the top recipients of U.S. aid, reflecting long-standing aid commitments to Israel and Egypt, the strategic significance of Afghanistan and Iraq, and the strategic and humanitarian importance of Jordan as the crisis in neighboring Syria continues to unfold. Africa was the top aid recipient region in FY2015, at 32%, followed by the Near East, at 31%, and South and Central Asia, at 25%. This was a significant shift from a decade prior, when Africa received only 17% of aid and South Central Asia 12%, reflecting significant increases in HIV/AIDS-related programs concentrated in Africa and large increases in aid to Afghanistan and Pakistan between FY2005 and FY2015. The drawdown of U.S. military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan led to reduced military assistance starting in FY2011, but growing concern about the Islamic State in Iraq and elsewhere may stall or reverse this trend. This report provides an overview of the U.S. foreign assistance program by answering frequently asked questions on the subject. It is intended to provide a broad view of foreign assistance over time, and will be updated periodically. For more current information on foreign aid funding levels, see CRS appropriations reports, particularly those on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
