US Approves $240 Million for Humanitarian Aid to Nigeria and Other Countries

United States officials have approved more than $240 million in humanitarian aid for Catholic Relief Services (CRS), with Nigeria listed among the recipient countries.

CRS, the international humanitarian arm of the U.S. Catholic community, will use the funding to deliver essential services across a network of local partners in selected nations.

Other beneficiaries of the multi‑sector assistance—covering food, nutrition, health, water, sanitation, and shelter—include Burma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, and Sudan.

State Department Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response Senior Official Ryan Shrum announced the allocation on Friday in Rome, Italy, together with U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch.

Attendees also included U.S. Representative to UN Agencies in Rome Lynda Blanchard, CRS Vice President for Humanitarian Response Jennifer Poidatz, and Caritas Internationalis Secretary General Alistair Dutton.

The State Department said the grant to CRS is the first in a series of awards to vetted implementing partners.

It complements the $3.8 billion provided through the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), aiming to reduce grant‑management burdens and ensure transparent disbursements.

The Trump Administration has highlighted CRS’s track record of collaborating with faith‑based organizations to deliver critical aid in the world’s most challenging environments.

CRS is already operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, supporting Ebola response efforts and addressing other life‑saving needs throughout the Central African nation.