Biden pledges $1B in aid to Africa as North Carolina residents continue to struggle after Helene

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Biden announces US to provide over $1B in aid to Africans displaced by historic droughts

President Biden, while speaking in Angola on Tuesday, announced the U.S. would provide over $1 billion in humanitarian aid to Africans displaced by droughts and food insecurity.

President Biden pledged $1 billion in humanitarian support to Africans displaced by historic droughts and food insecurity on Tuesday, as North Carolina residents continue to rebuild after the devastation left by Hurricane Helene.

"The United States continues to be the world's largest provider of humanitarian aid and development assistance. That's going to increase, you know, that's the right thing for the wealthiest nation in the world to do," Biden said while speaking in Angola. "Today I'm announcing over $1 billion in new humanitarian support for Africans displaced from homes by historic droughts and food insecurity. We know African leaders and citizens are seeking more than just aid. You seek investment.

"So, the United States is expanding our relationship all across Africa from assistance to aid, investment to trade, moving from patrons to partners to help bridge the infrastructure gap," he added.

Biden’s visit to Angola this week marks the first time the president has stepped foot on African soil during his presidency, and it comes as people in North Carolina continue to face challenges after Hurricane Helene caused destruction and devastation in late September.

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President Biden leaves the stage after speaking while visiting the National Slavery Museum in Morro da Cruz, near Luanda, on Dec. 3, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Last month, the White House requested $98 billion in additional disaster relief funding to help efforts in Helene-ravished areas.

Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle have pledged to act swiftly once they get a formal request from the Biden administration.

On top of that, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters last month that her agency "will need additional funding of approximately $40 billion beyond its 2025 budget request to support the ongoing recovery efforts to these storms and meet our overall mission requirements through the end of the fiscal year." 

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Married couple Victoria and Jeff, stay on a street with their dog after Hurricane Helene destroyed their motor home about a month ago, in Asheville, North Carolina, on Oct. 29, 2024. (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images)

Still, until these funds are in place, critics slammed what they perceived as Biden’s legacy of putting foreign countries before his own. On Tuesday, a video of Biden making the $1 billion announcement in Africa made the rounds on social media.

"BREAKING: Joe Biden just announced a $1B aid package for AFRICAN nations that are rebuilding from natural disasters. What about North Carolina? This is DISGUSTING," one user on X wrote.

"This is by far the WORST President of all time," another said on X.

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Destroyed cars remain in a river after the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in Asheville, North Carolina. (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images)

Still, one more user asked, "Can anyone please explain why Joe Biden hates America so much?"

The White House defended the Biden-Harris administration's decision to provide the aid, while also stressing its assistance to those in areas devastated by hurricanes Helene and Milton.

"The Biden-Harris Administration continues to provide billions of dollars in assistance to communities affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton, including over $1 billion in flood insurance payments to North Carolinians through the National Flood Insurance Program and over $260 million in direct financial assistance to individuals and families across the state," White House spokesperson Jeremy Edwards told Fox News Digital. "And we continue to fight against lies that can deter disaster survivors from applying for assistance they are owed. As the President has said, we will continue to be there for the people of North Carolina, and all communities devastated by these historic storms, for as long as it takes. We again urge Congress to act quickly and pass a supplemental funding package to further assist communities on their road to recovery."

The White House also said the money used to assist Africans was appropriated by Congress and is completely separate and unrelated to funds appropriated for domestic disaster and recovery efforts.

Helene ravaged part of the U.S. Southeast in late September, killing more than 100 people in North Carolina alone.

It’s estimated to have caused billions of dollars worth of damage as well.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., previously told Fox News Digital that he believed it could be one of the most expensive storms in U.S. history. 

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.