Vice President Kamala Harris addressing the U.S.-Africa Summit in Morocco by video from Washington, DCGreetings from Washington, D.C. I want to thank the Corporate Council on Africa, the Kingdom of Morocco, and His Majesty King Mohammed for hosting the 2022 U.S.-Africa Business Summit. I am honored to participate in this opening ceremony.President Joe Biden and I recognize the critical importance of strengthening our relationship with countries across Africa.
Africa is the world's fastest-growing continent. By 2030, the continent will have 1.7 billion people, home to one-fifth of the world's population. The continent is also increasingly young, urban and connected. There is a growing demand for food, healthcare, education, technology, and infrastructure. With regard to food insecurity, we are focused on the urgent need to increase food production and exports with and within Africa, a challenge made worse by Putin's war in Ukraine. To this end, since last October, the United States has pledged more than $7 billion in humanitarian and food security assistance across Africa.