The United States on Thursday pledged to provide $1 million in humanitarian aid for flood victims in Nigeria.
US Consulate in Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, regretted the unusually heavy rainfall and resulting flooding that has affected nearly 2.8 million people across the country, with many homes being damaged or completely destroyed, displacing millions of people.
“We are filled with grief for the flood victims who have lost so much – livelihoods, homes, and even loved ones,” said Leonard.
“The United States continues to stand with the people of Nigeria during this extremely difficult time.”
The US said the donation provided through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will allow local partners on the ground to provide emergency shelter assistance, relief commodities, and hygiene kits to promote safe and healthy practices.
This is also to curb a cholera outbreak and multipurpose cash assistance for people impacted by the devastating floods.
Leonard noted that the flood is exacerbating an already “critical humanitarian situation in Nigeria” preceded by conflict in the northern region that has driven millions of people from their homes.
“In the same region, more than 4 million people are projected to continue experiencing acute food insecurity amid the worsening global food crisis,” she said.
“We are also concerned that standing floodwaters could increase the risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states, where cholera outbreaks were declared in August and September and at least 7,750 cases were recorded in 2022, 31 out of 36 states reported cholera cases.”
She said the USAID disaster experts will continue monitoring the situation in close coordination with humanitarian partners and the Government of Nigeria to assess needs and determine if additional assistance is required.
The US ambassador to Nigeria noted that the United States has a long history of providing humanitarian assistance across the country.
“In 2022, USAID provided more than $356 million in humanitarian assistance to people most affected by conflict and food insecurity in Nigeria. This life-saving assistance is in addition to USAID’s annual $539 million development budget for Nigeria that supports economic growth, health, democratic governance, and education.”
Source: Guardian.ng
