US announces $92m in additional humanitarian assistance to Nigeria

The United States earlier this week announced almost $92 million in additional humanitarian assistance to the people affected by the ongoing conflict and severe food insecurity in Nigeria, a press release issued by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) says.

People throughout the Lake Chad Basin region are also to benefit from this humanitarian assistance.

With this announcement, the United States is providing more than $291 million in humanitarian assistance since the 2016 fiscal year to people affected by the Boko Haram-related conflict and the related humanitarian crisis. The United States continues to be the single largest humanitarian donor to the region, the release indicates.

This new funding to the United Nations and NGO partners will help tens of thousands of people receive critically needed humanitarian assistance, including food, water, shelter, and services to address acute hygiene, protection, and nutritional needs.

It also says that in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad, the conflict has left more than 6.4 million people in need of emergency food assistance and displaced 2.6 million people.

The United Nations estimates an additional $1 billion is needed to meet the humanitarian needs of people in 2017. The United States calls on other donors to contribute additional humanitarian assistance for the millions of people in the region whose lives have been affected by Boko Haram violence, it says.

By Pamela Ofori-Boateng

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