The United States government has named Nigeria and 12 other countries as beneficiaries of a $93 million emergency food assistance programme aimed at tackling worsening hunger and malnutrition.
Speaking at a recent press briefing, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department, Tommy Pigott, said the package will cover essential food commodities, targeted nutritional support, and emergency logistics.
According to the department, the programme will provide ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) for nearly one million children suffering from severe malnutrition. Benefiting nations include Haiti, Mali, Niger, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Kenya, and Chad.
The aid package comprises 1,209 metric tons of existing stock and funding to produce an additional 11,285 metric tons of food supplies.
The announcement comes a month after the closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) office under the Trump administration’s cost-cutting reforms — a decision that drew criticism from former US officials and global health experts.