Press Release – Immediate Release
Niamey, Niger, September 28, 2020 – The U.S. Government, through the United States Department of State will provide $6.5 million in humanitarian aid to Niger. The U.S. government’s Agency for International Development, Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, will provide an additional 600,000 to assist 8,750 flood-affected individuals comprising 1,250 households in the Maradi region.
The United States answered Prime Minister Rafini’s request to the international community for disaster assistance due to historic flooding in Niger. This assistance is another demonstration of the United States’ and Niger’s close and enduring partnership.
The assistance package amounts to $600,000 and will include two types of support. The first is a cash transfer. Each family will receive two rounds of a cash transfer, one in October and one in November, to immediately buy food and pay for basic necessities. The second will include vouchers that can be redeemed for supplies such as soap, blankets, and cooking tools.
Maradi is the region that has been most affected by the floods and the effects of this natural disaster have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis affecting the region since 2019. The department of Guidan Roumdji, where the assistance will be focused, is the most affected within the Maradi region.
Assistance will be provided through an international NGO with robust experience in delivering disaster relief and humanitarian assistance in Niger. The assistance package was designed with other organizations involved in the response to ensure that the most vulnerable among those affected are assisted.
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