The National Association of Evangelicals has praised a U.S. government announcement directing nearly $2 billion in health and humanitarian funding through faith-based organizations, calling it an encouraging sign that global compassion work will remain a national priority. The State Department announced on Aug. 6 that the investment represents the largest allocation of global health foreign assistance to faith-based organizations in more than 20 years. "The administration's announcement is a big boost to those efforts and an encouraging sign that lifesaving global health partnership will remain a national priority for years to come," he said. More than $100 million is immediately available for natural disaster response across 23 disaster-prone countries, the State Department said. The Aug. 6 State Department announcement was received by the organization as a positive response to those concerns.