During calendar year
2003, the United States Embassy, working with the U.S. public
and private sectors, provided assistance in money, goods
and services to Uruguay valued at over $US12.3 million.
The United States government supplied more than $US6 million
of this amount, while American corporations, NGOs, and religious
groups donated the balance. The majority of this assistance
benefited the public health sector, which was hurt by Uruguay’s
long-term recession. Medical supplies and services, including
prescription drugs and vaccines, made up nearly $US8 million
in donations.
Following the Uruguayan financial crisis
in 2002, the U.S. Embassy looked for ways to assist the
Uruguayan people in their time of need. These efforts continued
into 2003 and beyond. Under the Ambassador's leadership,
embassy officials solicited help from U.S. government agencies,
the private and non-governmental sectors. The response was
overwhelming. The United States military searched for excess
property that could be donated, finding hospital beds and
medical supplies, including a fully equipped ambulance,
and quickly sent these items to Uruguay. The military also
provided transport for school supplies, medicines and vaccines
donated by American businesses and NGOs.
Funds donated by the U.S. government under
a debt relief agreement with the government of Uruguay allowed
twenty-one Uruguayan NGOs access to $US650,000 for valuable
environmental and social service programs. These social
service programs benefited Uruguay’s most vulnerable
population, its children. The United States Congress, through
its funding of the Inter-American Foundation allocated more
than $US620,000 to local NGO programs encouraging the development
of small businesses, assisting the Afro-Uruguayan community
and supporting a Uruguayan based foundation that will fund
other local NGOs.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human
Resources, National Institute of Health funded over $US400,000
in medical research projects in Uruguay, giving opportunities
to highly trained Uruguayan scientists. The Embassy’s
Public Diplomacy Section provided more than $US300,000 for
cultural programs, language training, books and visits by
Uruguayans to the United States.
These efforts to solicit assistance
for Uruguay continue in 2004.
