10 months after, NEMA denies $1m USAID donation for flood victims

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Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Mustapha Ahmed, on Friday, disclosed that the Agency did not receive any $1 million donation from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), for the support of flood victims in 2022.

Mr Ahmed gave the clarification in Abuja during the visit of Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara.

Recall that the US Embassy had via a statement issued by the US Ambassador, Mary Beth Leonard in October 2022 announced the donation.

The US had explained that the unusually heavy rainfall, which resulted in flooding, had affected nearly 2.8 million people across the country.

It added that many homes had been damaged or completely destroyed, displacing millions of persons.

The US government stressed that the $1 million in new USAID support would allow local partners on the ground to provide emergency shelter assistance, relief commodities, and hygiene kits to promote safe and healthy practices amid the ongoing cholera outbreak and multipurpose cash assistance for people affected by the devastating floods.

Part of the statement stated, “The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing $1 million in immediate humanitarian assistance to support the people affected by unprecedented flooding in Nigeria.”

While reacting to the report, the NEMA helmsman noted that the lead agency in humanitarian response in the country is yet to get the donation, 10 months after the announcement.

He said: “I also read about the story in the papers last year but I can confirm that we have not received any $1 million from USAID.”

While addressing Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, he pledges the Agency’s readiness to assist in addressing the humanitarian problems caused by bandits and terrorist attacks.

He said: “First I commend the Governor to appreciate NEMA for the interventions and I assure you that Zamfara will get all the assistant they need just like other states of the federation.”

Earlier in his remarks, Governor Lawal said he was at the NEMA headquarters to seek assistance with the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) affected by several bandit attacks across the State.

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