The U.S. has announced about $533 million in humanitarian assistance for Nigeria, Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan, as well as countries in the Lake Chad region.
This was announced by the U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, who said millions of people were facing life-threatening food insecurity and malnutrition as a result of ongoing conflict or prolonged drought in the countries.
According to him, the additional funds will provide emergency food, nutrition assistance, access to safe drinking water, thousands of tons of food, and health programs to prevent the spread of deadly diseases like cholera to millions of people.
Of the newly announced funds, more than $128 million is for affected populations from Nigeria and countries in the Lake Chad region, about $184 million is for affected populations from South Sudan, more than $110 million for affected populations from Ethiopia while more than $110 million is for affected populations from Somalia.
“Today I’m announcing $533 million in additional humanitarian assistance to fight famine and food insecurity and address other needs resulting from conflicts in Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Lake Chad Basin,” Tillerson said.
“The alarming levels of hunger in these areas are largely man-made, as conflicts erupt and people flee their homes.
“Under these conditions, people cannot produce crops and often lose access altogether to food, education, and health care. Many lose everything.
“And regrettably, Mother Nature can still be cruel, such as in the Horn of Africa, where a prolonged drought is contributing to grave food insecurity.
“The American people, as we always have been, are there to partner with African countries to ensure their most vulnerable populations receive life-saving assistance.
“We also call upon others to join us in meeting the growing humanitarian needs in Africa. We hope these initial contributions will encourage others to contribute aid to increase burden sharing and meet the growing humanitarian needs in Africa.
“However, this assistance will not solve these ongoing conflicts, but only buy us time – time to pursue diplomatic solutions.”