Humanitarian assistance is a policy priority for the US, both globally and in the field. The weight given to the programme is matched by a hefty humanitarian budget – making the US the dominant humanitarian donor globally. There has been some useful progress since the last peer review: increased predictability of the humanitarian budget, consolidated US government positions on key humanitarian issues, better financing and programming options for recovery and transition contexts, and a high-profile push for resilience programming. To improve the overall efficiency and reach of the US humanitarian programme, further steps are needed: to reduce the directives in budget appropriations, further untie food aid and reduce practical obstacles for partners seeking development funding for recovery programmes.