U.S Supports Nigeria’s Flood Victims With Additional $5 Million

The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has said it will provide $5 million in additional humanitarian assistance to support people affected by flooding in Nigeria.

A statement by the US Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria on Wednesday said that this is a build up on USAID’s initial support of $1 million in life-saving aid provided following the devastating floods that wreaked havoc in different states across the country.

Nigeria recently experienced one of the most devastating floods in the history of the country.

According to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development at a press conference on October 24, 2022, over 3.2 million people were affected with more than 600 deaths recorded.

The flood which rendered many homeless, led to destruction of properties worth billions.

“The unusually heavy rainfall and resulting flooding in mid-August affected more than 4.4 million people across the country. The floods displaced at least 2.4 million people, destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes, and damaged more than 1.6 million acres of farmland. More than 660 people lost their lives,” the statement said.

According to the statement, with this new funding, USAID partners will reach more than 225,000 people in seven highly affected states with critical aid, including emergency shelter, water and sanitation to protect against water borne diseases, hygiene kits to promote safe and healthy practices, multipurpose cash for families to purchase what they need to recover, and other complementary assistance to promote economic recovery in communities impacted by the devastating floods.

“The United States will continue standing with the people of Nigeria during this extremely difficult time and maintains a long history of providing humanitarian assistance across the country,” the statement quoted Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard as saying.

The statement noted that the U.S provided more than $406 million in lifesaving, multi-sector assistance to people most affected by conflict and food insecurity, in 2022 fiscal year alone