In a significant move to address the humanitarian crisis caused by recent flooding in Nigeria, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has committed over $6.5 million to support relief efforts. This funding will assist local partners, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in providing critical aid to the over 619,000 individuals affected by the floods since mid-August. The devastating floods have resulted in 210 fatalities and displaced nearly 228,700 people across the country. Of the allocated funds, $3 million will be directed by IOM to meet urgent flood-related needs, highlighting the severity of the situation [7852e4da].
This latest aid package is part of a broader commitment by USAID, which has provided nearly $100 million for various humanitarian needs in Nigeria during the current fiscal year. Melissa Jones, the USAID Mission Director, emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Nigeria partnership in responding to such crises. The floods have not only caused immediate humanitarian challenges but have also inflicted long-term economic damage, with estimates suggesting that the 2022 floods alone resulted in damage costs ranging from $3.79 billion to $9.12 billion. Recent flooding has also severely impacted agriculture, damaging 16,488 hectares of farmland, and it is projected that 51% of farming areas in Nigeria are at risk of flooding in 2024. The World Bank has estimated that Nigeria will need $2.4 billion to prevent increased poverty levels following these climate shocks [7852e4da].