ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The United States has announced $32.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Nigeria, marking a notable shift in U.S. foreign policy since President Donald Trump suspended most aid programs under the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
According to a statement issued by the U.S. Mission in Nigeria on Wednesday, the funding will support food assistance and provide nutritional aid to internally displaced persons living in conflict-affected regions.
Northern Nigeria is currently grappling with what aid officials describe as “an unprecedented hunger crisis,” fueled by years of insecurity and recent global funding cuts. In July, Margot van der Velden, the World Food Program’s (WFP) regional director for West Africa, warned that more than 1.3 million people in Borno State alone were at risk of severe food shortages, with as many as 150 nutrition clinics facing imminent closure.
The crisis worsened earlier this year when the WFP was forced to suspend food assistance across several crisis-hit countries in West and Central Africa due to dwindling contributions from the U.S. and other international donors.
The new U.S. aid package is expected to ease immediate pressure on vulnerable communities in Nigeria, though humanitarian agencies continue to call for sustained global support to prevent widespread famine in the region.
