USAID Announces $550m Humanitarian Assistance for Nigeria, Others

Nigeria will benefit from the United States’ $550 million humanitarian assistance to countries ravaged by food insecurity. 

This was announced last Thursday in New York  by the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Mr. Mark Green.

Making the announcement, Mark said: “Today I am announcing more than $550 million in additional humanitarian assistance from the United States to the millions of people affected by food insecurity and violence in Yemen, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Somalia – the so-called ‘our famines.’”

According to him, the funding would provide lifesaving food and health care for vulnerable groups that have been affected by these crises.

 He said: “This funding brings our total contribution of humanitarian assistance to over $2.4 billion for these four crises since the beginning of this fiscal year.”

He stated that the US would remain the world’s leading humanitarian donor. 

“Whether it’s responding to an earthquake, drought, or conflict, America is committed to standing shoulder to shoulder with people in their hour of need. It is who we are as Americans,” he added.

 Green stated that America would continue to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance to those suffering as a result of famine, food insecurity, drought, and conflict, all of which he said was  driving the greatest movement of people since World War II.

He said:  “In the face of this unprecedented need, we are continuing to show leadership.”

He, however, admitted that humanitarian assistance alone would not solve the crises.

He said: “We need long-term political solutions that address the drivers of conflict and insecurity. Those four famines or near-famines that I referred to – we have to remind ourselves they are entirely man-made.

“As global humanitarian needs grow, we are also working to build resilience to stave off additional needs for humanitarian assistance and emergency assistance in the future.”

Green said US would work  to end the root causes of famine, conflict, and insecurity, and helping to build resilient communities and families and governments as well. 

He said: “At USAID, our teams around the clock work daily to promote human dignity and elevate the human condition. Our assistance is not a handout; it is a hand up, and over the long run we seek to help our partners by building in-country community capacity, to strengthen governance, and to mobilize domestic resources. Our message is clear: The United States stands ready to help those in need.”

Green also announced additional $264 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of Iraq.

He explained that the US Government had provided nearly $1.7 billion in humanitarian assistance for the Iraq crisis since 2014. 

SOURCE:THISDAY