To support those impacted by catastrophic floods in Nigeria, the United States has offered $1 million in emergency humanitarian aid.
The assistance, which will be provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development, offers multipurpose cash assistance for those affected by the devastating floods as well as emergency shelter assistance, relief supplies, and hygiene kits to promote safe and healthy practices amid the ongoing cholera outbreak.
According to a statement from the U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Leonard, the nation laments the impacts of the unusually heavy rain but will uphold its commitment to delivering humanitarian aid to flood-affected areas.
She said, “We are filled with grief for the flood victims who have lost so much – livelihoods, homes, and even loved ones.
She added that the United States remains committed to supporting the Nigerian people at this incredibly trying period.”
Nearly 2.8 million people nationwide have been impacted by the unexpectedly strong rainfall and flooding that followed. Millions of individuals have also been displaced as a result of several homes being damaged or destroyed.
“In Nigeria, where a protracted conflict has displaced millions of people from their homes, particularly in the northern area, the floods have worsened an already dire humanitarian situation. More than 4 million people in the same area are expected to continue to experience severe food insecurity as the global food crisis gets worse. The united states are particularly concerned that standing floodwaters in the states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe, where cholera outbreaks were declared in August and September and at least 7,750 cases were reported, could raise the risk of cholera and other waterborne infections. Thirty-one out of the 36 states reported cholera cases in 2022.
The $1 million in additional USAID funding will enable local partners on the ground to offer emergency shelter assistance, relief supplies, hygiene kits to encourage safe and healthy practices amid the ongoing cholera outbreak, and multipurpose cash assistance for people affected by the devastating floods.
