In a major push to accelerate global emergency relief, the U.S. State Department has rolled out a $240 million humanitarian funding package for Catholic Relief Services (CRS).
The aid is earmarked for Nigeria and other crisis-hit nations grappling with war, disease outbreaks, climate disasters, and worsening food insecurity.
Friday’s announcement marks the launch of a new series of global humanitarian awards aimed at cutting through red tape and delivering faster aid to the world’s most vulnerable populations.
The announcement was made in Rome by Ryan Shrum, Senior Bureau Official of the State Department’s Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response, alongside senior U.S. diplomats and humanitarian leaders.
According to the State Department, the initiative is designed to ensure that life-saving assistance can be deployed within 24 hours of a disaster or emergency, significantly reducing delays often associated with traditional funding mechanisms.
The support will enable Catholic Relief Services to provide assistance across multiple sectors, including food security, nutrition, healthcare, water and sanitation, shelter, and other critical humanitarian services.
Nigeria is among the countries expected to benefit from the intervention, alongside Burma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Haiti and Sudan, all of which continue to face significant humanitarian challenges.Nigerian News Aggregator
The U.S. government said the funding would strengthen CRS’s capacity to respond rapidly to both sudden disasters and protracted emergencies through its extensive network of local and international partners.
A portion of the funding will also support a global rapid-response fund, allowing humanitarian teams to immediately mobilise resources and deliver aid without waiting for lengthy procurement and approval processes.
Officials noted that CRS works through more than 160 Caritas chapters worldwide, enabling relief materials and services to reach vulnerable populations even in difficult and politically sensitive environments.
The State Department said the latest funding complements the U.S. government’s broader humanitarian efforts, including the $3.8 billion in assistance channelled through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Ebola remains a major public health concern, CRS is already supporting response efforts.
The new funding is expected to strengthen ongoing disease-control activities while addressing other humanitarian needs in affected communities.
U.S. officials said the initiative reflects Washington’s commitment to making humanitarian assistance faster, more efficient and more accountable, while leveraging trusted organisations with proven track records in crisis response.
The State Department described CRS as a reliable partner with a long history of delivering humanitarian assistance in some of the world’s most challenging environments.