The United States Agency for the International Development (USAID) and the U.S. government have so far spent over $200 million on intervention programmes across states in the North-East that are affected by Boko Haram insurgency, the Director, USAID/Nigeria Mission, Michael Harvey, has said.
He told newsmen in Maiduguri yesterday that there would be additional support this year, saying they were committed to continue intervening in the sub-region as long as possible.
He noted that the states and federal governments, the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the British government and other international donors were currently playing major roles in the intervention.
Mr. Harvey, who arrived Maiduguri Tuesday, went round the metropolis and visited some IDPs camps where he inspected completed and ongoing intervention projects. He said the USAID had been a major sponsor of UN agencies and other NGOs that would try to help IDPs currently taking refuge in various designated camps within and outside Borno State.
“We’ve been financing UNICEF to deal with health, water, sanitation, education issues. We’ve also been funding IOM to work with NEMA to do the counting and registration of IDPs. We’re working with international NGOs including the International Rescue Committee, Action Against Hunger and several other groups that are working in the camps to support SEMA and NEMA. It’s a big programme, but as you see around, the population – the need is huge,” Mr. Harvey said.
He however added: “We’re also going to be working on a new education programme in Borno for IDPs using the non-formal learning centres which we have been doing with IDP communities in other states,” he said.
