US announces additional $30m aid for north-east

The United States has announced an additional $30m as humanitarian aid for the people of the north-east.

In a statement on Friday, the US embassy in Nigeria said the funding would bring the total US humanitarian contribution in Nigeria to more than $298m since October 2015.

It said the funding was in response to the humanitarian crisis in the north-east as a result of years of brutality by Boko Haram and other militant groups.

“This new funding will support the UN World Food Programme in Nigeria, which is providing critical food assistance, nutrition support, and vouchers that can be used to buy food where local markets are functional,” the statement read.

“This assistance is also helping communities return to their agricultural livelihoods where security allows.”

The embassy also noted that humanitarian efforts were vital in the north-east where “approximately 8.5 million people require assistance, including 5.2 million people who need emergency food assistance, and more than 1.7 million people who are displaced.”

It restated its commitment to working with the Nigerian government and other donors to provide humanitarian assistance to avert famine and support vulnerable communities.