Sec. 106. Report on humanitarian response to the COVID–19 pandemic
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Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that— assesses the global humanitarian response to COVID–19; and outlines specific elements of the United States Government’s country-level response to the COVID–19 pandemic. The report required under subsection
(a)shall include— for countries receiving United States assistance, a description of humanitarian and health-worker access to crisis-affected areas, including— legal and bureaucratic restrictions on the entry of humanitarian workers from abroad, to include visa authorizations that do not allow adequate time for humanitarian workers to quarantine upon arrival in-line with host country regulations, conduct needs assessments, and subsequently implement multilateral and United States-funded programming in an efficient, effective, and unrestricted manner; restrictions on travel by humanitarian workers within such country to reach the areas of operation where vulnerable and marginalized populations reside; access to medical evacuation in the event of a health emergency; access to personal protective equipment for United States Government implementing partners; and efforts to support access to COVID–19 vaccines for humanitarian and health-workers and crisis-affected communities; an analysis and description of countries (regardless of whether such countries have received direct United States assistance) that have expressly prevented vulnerable populations from accessing necessary assistance related to COVID–19, including— the omission of vulnerable populations from national response plans; laws, policies, or practices that restrict or preclude treatment of vulnerable populations at public hospitals and health facilities; and exclusion of, or discrimination against, vulnerable populations in law, policy, or practice that prevents equal access to food, shelter, and other basic assistance; a description of United States Government efforts to facilitate greater humanitarian access, including— advocacy and diplomatic efforts with relevant foreign governments and multilateral institutions to ensure that vulnerable and marginalized populations are included in national response plans and other relevant plans developed in response to the COVID–19 pandemic; and advocacy and diplomatic efforts with relevant foreign governments to ensure that appropriate visas, work permits, and domestic travel exemptions are issued for humanitarian and health workers responding to the COVID–19 pandemic; and a description of United States Government plans and efforts to address the second-order impacts of the COVID–19 pandemic and an assessment of the resources required to implement such plans, including efforts to address— famine and acute food insecurity; gender-based violence; mental health and psychosocial support needs; child protection needs; health, education, and livelihoods; shelter; and attempts to close civil society space, including through bureaucratic, administrative, and health or security related impediments.