The European Commission has announced a commitment of €235 million in humanitarian assistance to support the most vulnerable populations in West and Central Africa. This funding is intended to aid individuals affected by current conflicts and food crises, as well as forcibly displaced persons, host communities, and hard-to-reach populations.
The West and Central Africa region is facing significant humanitarian crises driven primarily by conflict, exacerbated by climate change and local governance issues. The Central Sahel and Lake Chad regions are particularly affected, with conflicts spilling into coastal countries and causing large-scale displacement. The ongoing crisis in Sudan is also impacting Eastern Chad. Additionally, crises persist in North-West Nigeria, North-West and South-West Cameroon, and the Central African Republic (CAR).
“West and Central Africa is facing a storm of humanitarian crises, driven by conflict, poverty, hunger, instability, and climate shocks. 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. 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. 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,” said Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management.
In the Central Sahel, €75 million in EU humanitarian funding is being allocated to life-saving responses in conflict-affected areas, prioritising protection, food assistance, health services, education in emergencies, shelter, and water and sanitation. This effort addresses the needs of over 12.4 million people.
In Cameroon, €16.6 million will support food, health, water, and shelter for nearly 3 million people in need, including 2.2 million forcibly displaced individuals.
In the Central African Republic, €22 million will fund multi-sectoral aid for 2.3 million people, including food, health, and protection. This includes €4.5 million to respond to the Sudan crisis.
Chad will receive over €72 million to provide water, sanitation, food, and shelter for the displaced, aiding both refugees and host communities. Since April 2023, Chad has welcomed nearly 919,000 Sudanese refugees and 389,700 Chadian returnees, with €60.8 million dedicated to their needs.
Mauritania will allocate €4.8 million to support Malian refugees and local communities, providing food, water, and shelter. The country is hosting over 400,000 refugees, mainly in the Hodh Chargui region.
In Nigeria, €33 million will address health and nutrition in the North-East and North-West, where nearly 35 million people require emergency food assistance, including 6.4 million malnourished children.
Coastal countries will receive over €6 million for emergency responses and support for over 270,000 displaced individuals in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo, as well as an additional €6.4 million for regional projects.
