Rajiv Shah
Dr. Rajiv Shah serves as the 16th Administrator of USAID and leads the efforts of more than 8,000 professionals in 80 missions around the world.
Homepage: http://www.usaid.gov/who-we-are/organization/rajiv-shah
On the Ground in the Horn of Africa
Eighty kilometers from Kenya’s border with Somalia, the Dadaab Refugee Complex—already the world’s largest refugee camp—has seen on average 1,500 exhausted and starving men, women and children arrive each day. Fleeing from famine that is now gripping a large portion of southern Somalia largely inaccessible to aid workers, thousands of refugees have walked days—or even [...]
Our Response to the Horn of Africa Drought
This morning, the United Nations declared what has become plain to anyone who has witnessed the devastation caused by this epic drought: thousands of people in southern Somalia are currently in a state of famine. After the announcement, I visited the Wajir and Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya. I saw child after child weary from [...]
Talking with America’s Youth
On Thursday, I had the opportunity to speak with American youth from the White House about the importance of getting involved in international development. Kalpen Modi, the Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement, invited me to answer questions from a room full of young innovators and the Twitter and Facebook online communities. I [...]
The Korean Peninsula at Night
If you look at a map of the Korean Peninsula at night, you can immediately understand the impact of global development. Darkness covers nearly the entire North, masking a child malnutrition rate of nearly 50 percent and untold stories of individual suffering and poverty. But over South Korea, you see a country shining with lights, [...]
30 Years of HIV/AIDS: A USAID Historical Perspective
On June 5, 1981, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report reported that five seemingly healthy young gay men were diagnosed with an infection that would typically affect only individuals with substantial damage to their immune system. As similar cases cropped up, national and international attention soared, and the scientific and public health community mobilized to [...]
Responding to Urgent and Long-Term Needs in Sudan
Earlier this month, I visited Sudan, a nation poised to separate in July into two independent states following a peaceful referendum in January that USAID helped carry out. Since my visit, violence has erupted in Abyei, a disputed area on the north-south border, and threatened the fragile peace in the region. Resolving the status of [...]
Working with Diaspora Communities to Deliver Meaningful Results
On Tuesday, I spoke at the Global Diaspora Forum, a gathering at the State Department that brought together representatives from diaspora communities around the world, from Haiti to Tanzania. I had the opportunity to talk about ways USAID is rebuilding our engagement with diaspora—in areas like philanthropy, entrepreneurship, and volunteerism—under the framework of the Diaspora [...]
Across Asia, Reaching out a Hand in Support of Development
Crossposted from the White House Blog In 1954, South Korea was still reeling from the devastation of the Korean War. Its economy was poorer than 2/3 of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa and its people had an average life expectancy of 54 years. In that same year, the International Cooperation Association—USAID’s precursor—developed a partnership between [...]
2011 Annual Letter
Fifty years ago, John F. Kennedy wrote a letter to congress that called for the creation of the agency I am now privileged to lead – USAID, the United States Agency for International Development. Having witnessed the devastation the Second World War caused in Europe – and the success the Marshall Plan had in rebuilding it – [...]
Leading Through Civilian Power
After months of effort and meaningful discussions, today I was happy to join Secretary Clinton to unveil the first ever Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) at a State Department town hall. Complementing the Presidential Policy Directive on development that was released earlier this year, the QDDR helps make real the commitment the Secretary has [...]
