USA
By Olamilekan Tosin
The United States has announced a $93 million emergency food assistance program for 13 countries, including Nigeria, to combat worsening hunger and malnutrition. The program aims to provide ready-to-use therapeutic food for nearly one million children suffering from severe malnutrition. This aid package includes 1,209 metric tons of existing stock and funds to produce an additional 11,285 metric tons of therapeutic aid .
The beneficiary countries include Mali, Niger, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Kenya, and Chad, in addition to Nigeria and Haiti. According to Tommy Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department, the aid will cover essential food commodities, targeted nutritional support, and emergency logistics.
This initiative is part of the US government’s humanitarian commitment to addressing acute food insecurity in regions affected by conflict, climate shocks, and economic instability. The program will run until June 2026, and the US Department of State emphasizes that this critical funding will help save lives in these 13 countries.
The announcement comes amid the formal shutdown of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Trump administration’s cost-cutting reforms, a move that drew criticism from former US leaders and global health experts. USAID was founded in 1961 and has long been the lead agency for US humanitarian and development aid.
In addition to this recent aid package, the US has previously committed to providing humanitarian assistance to Nigeria. In August 2024, the US government announced $27 million in humanitarian aid to Nigeria, targeting vulnerable populations and enhancing resilience against food insecurity and climate change. This funding is part of a broader $536 million aid package allocated to sub-Saharan Africa by the US government.
