By Abraham Olatunbosun
The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing $5 million in additional humanitarian assistance to support people affected by unprecedented flooding in Nigeria.
This is an addition to the USAID’s initial support of $1 million in life-saving aid provided following the devastating floods.
The unusually heavy rainfall and resulting flooding in mid-August affected more than 4.4 million people across the country, with floods displaced at least 2.4 million people, destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes, and damaged more than 1.6 million acres of farmland, leaving more than 660 people dead.
According to a statement on Wednesday, with this new funding, USAID partners will reach more than 225,000 people in seven highly affected states with critical aid, including emergency shelter, water and sanitation to protect against water borne diseases, hygiene kits to promote safe and healthy practices, multipurpose cash for families to purchase what they need to recover, and other complementary assistance to promote economic recovery in communities impacted by the devastating floods.
The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, is quoted in the statement to have squid: “The United States will continue standing with the people of Nigeria during this extremely difficult time and maintains a long history of providing humanitarian assistance across the country.”
In fiscal year 2022 alone, the United States provided more than $406 million in lifesaving, multi-sector assistance to people most affected by conflict and food insecurity, the statement recalled.
