U.S. Pledges $40 Million To Countries Affected By Boko Haram

The United States on Tuesday pledged $40 million in humanitarian assistance to countries bordering Lake Chad, fighting Islamist militant group Boko Haram.

T he U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, said the money is to help about seven million people affected by the insurgent group that has killed around 15,000 people.

Power was in the capital of Cameroon, Yaounde, and met President Paul Biya and attended a ceremony to burn 2,000 tusks in a bid to end elephant poaching. The trip includes visits to Chad and Nigeria.

“We discussed the monstrous threat posed by Boko Haram and we agreed, and he was very forceful on this point, that the military response alone could not succeed in defeating Boko Haram in the long-term,” she said of her meeting with Biya.

Respect for human rights, good governance, economic and forest development and a focus on civil society were essential components of the campaign, she said.

Power has been scheduled to visit the region’s Multinational Joint Task Force, which is staffed with troops from Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Benin.

Power also called for financial support from the international community to aid the development of areas battered by Boko Haram.

It takes total U.S. aid to the sub-region since 2014 to $237 million, she said.