New York City — Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, met with the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (OCHA), Tom Fletcher, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly High Level Week. 

Ranking Member Meeks reaffirmed OCHA’s important role in supporting humanitarian responses globally amidst unprecedented cuts in foreign assistance by the U.S. and other donors. He thanked Under-Secretary-General Fletcher for his leadership in calling for the U.S. and other international donors to commit funding for humanitarian disaster responses in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia, which are severely underfunded with significant unmet needs. The Ranking Member underscored Congress’ direct role in authorizing and appropriating funding for OCHA’s pooled funds and called upon OCHA to continue to keep Congress informed on how that money is reaching people on the ground.

The two also discussed the urgent need for U.S. leadership and reengagement with other UN humanitarian agencies to ensure that humanitarian responses are comprehensive, needs-based, and capable of stabilizing the dire situations facing the most vulnerable communities worldwide.