225,000 people to benefit as US pledges $5m to flood victims in Nigeria

The United States through its humanitarian agency has pledged $5 million to support victims of flood across the seven most impacted states in Nigeria.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced this in a statement on Wednesday.

The agency had earlier supported people affected by the recent flooding in Nigeria with the sum of $1 million.

The additional funding, according to the agency, will benefit over 225,000 people in affected areas in the country.

“The United States, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing $5 million in additional humanitarian assistance to support people affected by unprecedented flooding in Nigeria. Today’s announcement builds on USAID’s initial support of $1 million in life-saving aid provided following the devastating floods,” the statement reads.

​”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.

“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 waterborne 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.”

Mary Beth Leonard, US ambassador to Nigeria, said “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”.