Coronavirus: U.S. announces additional $270m in foreign assistance

The U.S. Government on Wednesday announced an additional 270 million dollars (N101 billion) in foreign assistance to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

This brings the total global financial aid by the U.S. since the outbreak of the virus to 775 million dollars (N291 billion), the Secretary of State, Mr Michael Pompeo, said in a statement.

According to him, the new funding includes 170 million dollars (N63 billion) in humanitarian aid to support the preparedness and response of communities in most-at-risk countries to the pandemic.

He said the balance of 100 million dollars (N37 billion) would go to governments, civil society and the private sector “to prepare for, mitigate, and address second-order economic, civilian-security, stabilisation, and governance impacts of COVID-19.

“A healthier world means a healthier United States.

“Decades of smart and strategic foreign assistance has proven to mitigate further impact to Americans overseas and better protect Americans at home from further transmission across our borders,’’ he added.

Pompeo said that the State Department was working with sister departments and agencies as part of an All-of-America response to the pandemic.

He said that the move was geared toward health care support, “humanitarian assistance, and economic, security, and stabilisation efforts worldwide.

“This would see the mobilisation of 2.4 billion dollars (N902 billion) in emergency supplemental funding allocated by Congress,’’ he said.

On March 27, the U.S. announced a 274 million dollars (N103 billion) foreign assistance package to 63 countries, including Nigeria which got 7 million dollars (N2.6 billion). (NAN)