US Unveils $240 Million Humanitarian Package for Nigeria, Other Crisis-Hit Nations

The United States government has announced more than $240 million in humanitarian and disaster-response funding to support vulnerable populations in Nigeria and several other countries grappling with conflict, disease outbreaks, food insecurity and humanitarian emergencies.

The funding package, which will be administered through Catholic Relief Services (CRS), forms part of a new global humanitarian initiative designed to accelerate emergency assistance to crisis-affected communities around the world.

The announcement was made in Rome by Ryan Shrum, Senior Bureau Official at the US Department of State’s Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response, alongside senior diplomats and humanitarian officials.

According to the State Department, the initiative is intended to significantly reduce delays in emergency response by enabling humanitarian organisations to deploy life-saving assistance within 24 hours of a disaster or crisis.

The funding will support a broad range of interventions, including food assistance, nutrition services, healthcare delivery, water and sanitation projects, shelter provision and other essential humanitarian programmes.

Nigeria is among the countries expected to benefit from the intervention alongside Ethiopia, Sudan, Haiti, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Officials said the support would strengthen the operational capacity of Catholic Relief Services and its network of partners, enabling faster responses to both sudden disasters and prolonged humanitarian emergencies.

Part of the funding will also be allocated to a global rapid-response mechanism designed to ensure aid organisations can immediately mobilise resources without being delayed by lengthy approval and procurement procedures.

The State Department noted that CRS works through an extensive international network that includes more than 160 Caritas chapters worldwide, giving the organisation access to communities in some of the most difficult and conflict-affected environments.

US officials said the initiative complements broader American humanitarian commitments, including billions of dollars in support channelled through multilateral agencies such as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, where authorities continue to battle an Ebola outbreak, CRS is already involved in disease-control efforts and is expected to use portions of the new funding to strengthen ongoing interventions.

The US government said the programme reflects its commitment to improving the speed, effectiveness and accountability of international humanitarian assistance.

Washington described Catholic Relief Services as a trusted humanitarian partner with decades of experience delivering emergency aid and development support in some of the world’s most challenging regions.