| FACT SHEET | - Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act - About Section 620I

The United States provides billions of dollars for humanitarian aid each year, including through non-governmental and multilateral partners such as the United Nations, and it is “the largest single provider of humanitarian assistance worldwide.” Section 620I includes a waiver mechanism stipulating that the United States can provide security assistance despite the prohibition if the President finds. [...] However, prior to using the waiver, the President must notify the congressional appropriations and foreign affairs committees of their “intention to make such a determination, the effective date of the determination, and the reasons for making the determination.” Legislative History The precursor to Section 620I was the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act. [...] The bill sought to “promote the delivery of humanitarian assistance to people in need in a manner that is both timely and cost effective.” Legislators were particularly concerned about Turkey’s blockade of Armenia, which restricted the delivery of US humanitarian aid. [...] Origins: Application to Armenia Section 620I originated in concerns about the Turkish government restricting the delivery of US humanitarian aid to Armenia starting in 1993 during the First Nagorno-Karabakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. [...] He then stalled the confirmation of the Trump administration’s nominee for State Department legal adviser, Jennifer Newstead, until she replied to his inquiries on the implementation of Section 620I in the context of the war in Yemen to his satisfaction.