Omanghana
The European Commission has announced a new humanitarian aid package worth €235 million (about $256 million) to address worsening food shortages and displacement crises across West and Central Africa. The funding is aimed at supporting millions of vulnerable people affected by escalating conflict, climate-related shocks, and severe food insecurity across the region.
A significant portion of the aid has been allocated to the Central Sahel, including Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, which will receive €75 million. More than 12.4 million people in these countries are currently in need of urgent humanitarian assistance due to ongoing violence and instability.
Nigeria will receive €33 million to help address one of the country’s most severe food crises. Nearly 35 million people there require emergency food support, while about 6.4 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition.
In Chad, over €72 million has been allocated to assist nearly 2 million forcibly displaced people, including more than 1.3 million refugees who have fled conflict in Sudan. The Central African Republic will receive €22 million to fund multi-sector support programs, including healthcare, livelihoods, and protection services for displaced populations and returnees.
Cameroon is set to benefit from more than €16.6 million to improve food security and nutrition for around 2.2 million displaced individuals. Meanwhile, over €6 million has been earmarked for coastal West African countries such as Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo, where insecurity spilling over from the Sahel is driving new waves of displacement.
The funding will support life-saving interventions delivered through United Nations agencies and humanitarian organizations. These efforts will focus on providing emergency food aid, nutrition services for children, access to clean water and sanitation, healthcare, and emergency education. Additional support will include shelter for displaced populations and logistical services such as humanitarian air transport to reach remote and hard-to-access communities.
This latest package forms part of the European Union’s broader humanitarian strategy for 2026, which places strong emphasis on the Greater Horn of Africa and West Africa. In total, the EU has committed more than €557 million in initial humanitarian funding for the year, reflecting growing concern over the scale and complexity of crises affecting the region.
Source: Omanghana
