The United States of America has announced the release of N11.9 billion as humanitarian support for Nigeria
– The U.S said this fund will be used to provide critical assistance to Nigerians affected by conflict and insurgency as well as individuals in the Lake Chad Basin Region
The Nigerian government has again received foreign aid as relief for internally displaced persons in the Lake Chad Basin region.
The United States government on Wednesday, August 10, announced that it will be providing more than $37 million (N11.9 billion) as an additional humanitarian assistance to Nigerians affected by conflict in the region.
The U.S in a statement said the fund will be used for assisting Nigerians caught up in insurgency and insecurity in the nation and around the Lake Chad Basin.
On Friday, August 5, the European Union Commission announced the release of €9 million (N3.18 billion to the Nigerian government for same humanitarian activities in the north east.
Just like the U.S the EU commission’s support will be made available for humanitarian aid support to Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon as they face crisis in various insurgency hit regions.
“The savagery of Boko Haram has triggered a humanitarian crisis in Nigeria and surrounding countries in the Lake Chad Basin region,” the U.S said.
The announcement was made by three senior US Agency for International Development (USAID) officials – Nigeria mission director Michael T. Harvey, U.S Office of Foreign Disaster’s assistance director Jeremy Konyndyk and Office of Food for Peace deputy director Matt Nims – the statement said.
With this new funding, the U.S will be providing more than $318 million in humanitarian assistance since the 2015 fiscal year to the Lake Chad Basin region and continues to be the single largest humanitarian donor to the region.
“In addition to humanitarian funding, USAID provides targeted assistance that seeks to reduce extreme poverty and improve the quality of life for Nigeria’s most vulnerable communities through improved governance and civic participation at the federal, state, and local levels; reduced corruption; a strengthened private sector as a source of job creation; and improved quality of social service delivery,” the U.S added.
It also said that since the inception of insurgency in the region, families have been driven from their homes, millions left without enough to eat while human rights abuses are widespread.
“Despite gradually improving security conditions, the humanitarian situation remains dire. Throughout the region, approximately 5 million people need emergency food assistance, and 2.5 million people are displaced,” the U.S statement said.
It also added that the funding to the United Nations and non-governmental organization partners will help thousands of Nigerians including individuals in the Lake Chad Basin area receive “critically” needed assistance.
“The food assistance will be delivered to conflict-affected communities in the Diffa Region of Niger, including populations who fled their homes following the recent attacks in Bosso.
This new food assistance will be coordinated with the humanitarian community in Nigeria to scale up the overall regional food response,” it said.
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