Bukola Afeni
The European Commission has announced €235 million in humanitarian assistance to support vulnerable populations across West and Central Africa, as the region grapples with worsening conflict, food insecurity, and displacement.
The funding, disclosed in a statement signed by Press and Information Officer of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Modestus Chukwulaka, will target people affected by ongoing crises, including displaced persons, host communities, and hard-to-reach populations.
A breakdown of the package shows that €75 million will go to the Central Sahel, over €72 million to Chad, €33 million to Nigeria, €22 million to the Central African Republic, over €16.6 million to Cameroon, €4.8 million to Mauritania, and more than €6 million to coastal countries. An additional €6.4 million will fund regional humanitarian projects.
European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said the intervention is critical as the region faces multiple, overlapping crises.
“West and Central Africa is facing a storm of humanitarian crises, driven by conflict, poverty, hunger, instability, and climate shocks,” Lahbib said.
Reflecting on a recent visit to Chad, she highlighted the human toll of the crises.
“Last year in Chad, I saw the human cost with my own eyes: families who had fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs, their homes lost, their livelihoods destroyed,” she said.
She stressed that humanitarian support remains essential for millions of affected people.
“For millions of people, humanitarian aid is not a choice. It is food on the table, clean water, medicine, shelter, and a chance for their children to learn again,” Lahbib added.
“The European Union will always stand with people in crisis, as a reliable and principled humanitarian partner, to save lives, ease suffering, and bring hope where it is needed most.”
The EU noted that conflicts remain the primary driver of humanitarian needs in the region, compounded by climate change and challenges related to governance, population pressures, and access to resources.
According to the Commission, the Central Sahel and Lake Chad regions remain the epicentre of the crises, with violence spreading into coastal countries and triggering large-scale displacement.
It added that the ongoing crisis in Sudan continues to strain communities in eastern Chad, while separate humanitarian challenges persist in North-West Nigeria, parts of Cameroon, and the Central African Republic.
