The National Association of Evangelicals welcomed a U.S. government plan to direct nearly $2 billion in health and humanitarian assistance through faith-based organizations, saying the move reinforces the importance of global compassion work.
The State Department said Aug. 6 that the funding marks the largest allocation of global health foreign assistance to faith-based groups in more than two decades. The programs will operate in more than 20 countries and are expected to reach 7 million people across 16 humanitarian crises.
“Faith-based hospitals, clinics, community health workers and humanitarian organizations combine trusted local relationships with compassionate service,” NAE President Walter Kim said in an Aug. 10 statement.
NAE Vice President of Government Relations Galen Carey said the funding suggests such partnerships will continue. “The administration's announcement is a big boost to those efforts and an encouraging sign that lifesaving global health partnership will remain a national priority for years to come,” he said.
About $1.4 billion will support health services, including an $850 million, five-year Faith and Community Initiative Award for World Vision and consortium partners, along with $570 million distributed through agreements with national governments.
The health funding is expected to support more than 2,500 faith-based hospitals and clinics in 17 countries and train over 30,000 community health workers. Programs will include vaccinations, HIV/AIDS treatment, Ebola response and nutrition services.
Another $538 million will fund humanitarian assistance through Samaritan's Purse and a World Vision–Compassion International consortium. More than $100 million will be immediately available for disaster response in 23 disaster-prone countries, according to the State Department.
The awards also require at least 80 percent of funding to go directly toward frontline health services, compared with the 35 to 40 percent historically directed to such services in similar State Department programs.
The NAE has long maintained that faith-based organizations play a unique role in global health and humanitarian relief because they combine service delivery with longstanding relationships inside local communities.
