Lagos – The US Government has announced its donation of an additional $51 million (about N79.4bn) to aid victims of the ongoing conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR).

The US Department of State’s Africa Regional Media Hub said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday.

The statement added that the fund had brought the government’s funding for the crisis to about $118 million in fiscal year 2014.

“The U.S. has announced nearly $51 million in additional humanitarian aid to support those affected by the ongoing conflict in the CAR.

“This new assistance brings the total US humanitarian funding for the crisis to nearly $118 million in Fiscal Year 2014.

“The assistance will be helping people suffering inside CAR, as well as refugees in the neighbouring countries. More than half of CAR’s population is in need of humanitarian assistance.

“This new funding will provide clean water, food, emergency health services and relief supplies to those most in need as a result of the crisis.

“It will support programmes dedicated to identifying lost children and reuniting them with their families and surviving caregivers, when possible,” it said.

The statement added that the fund would also provide safe and nurturing spaces for displaced Central African children to learn, play and engage in psychosocial support activities.

It also said that the fund would help in reducing the children’s exposure to the risks of exploitation and abuse.

“The U.S. is responding to immediate food needs by ramping up distributions of food, including nutritional supplements and specially-fortified food items for pregnant women and children.

“With 1.7 million people at risk of severe food insecurity, this new assistance will also provide seeds, tools and agricultural training to help farmers in the CAR to restart their livelihoods,” the statement added.

/NAN