The European Union has announced a significant boost to its humanitarian assistance in Nigeria, with an additional €5 million allocated to address critical food insecurity and displacement issues.
This latest funding increase, revealed in a statement on Monday, August 26, 2024, raises the EU’s total humanitarian support for seven West African countries to €160.6 million this year.
The new funds will be directed towards alleviating the severe humanitarian crises impacting various regions, including Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Mauritania, and the Gulf of Guinea coastal countries.
These areas are grappling with widespread food insecurity and displacement, driven by escalating political instability, ongoing conflicts, and pervasive violence.
The EU indicated that the funding will help meet the emergency needs of the most vulnerable people, especially in the areas of food assistance, nutrition, health, water, sanitation, shelter, and protection.
“In particular, the funding will be allocated to humanitarian partners working in Burkina Faso (€10 million), Mali (€8 million), Niger (€8 million), Mauritania (€1 million), Nigeria (€5 million), and the Gulf of Guinea countries (€3 million).
“This additional funding brings the total EU aid to these countries to €160.6 million this year,” the EU statement partly read.
EU data reveals that 10% of Mauritania’s population is currently facing food insecurity. In Nigeria, the volatile security situation in the Northeast and Northwest is causing new and ongoing forced displacements.
These regions require multi-sectoral support to address the growing humanitarian needs.
“The Northeast and Northwest regions of Nigeria are also experiencing a significant increase in the number of malnourished children, while the 2024 lean season is expected to be the most severe in the last seven years.
“The EU is one of the leading contributors of humanitarian aid in Nigeria. In 2023, the EU allocated €47.4 million in humanitarian aid.
“Since 2014, the EU has provided close to €482 million to help people in need in the country, including €31.5 million in 2024,” the statement partly read.
According to EU data, 7.9 million people in North-East Nigeria require humanitarian aid.
It stated that 4.8 million people in the Northeast could struggle to find enough food during the lean season (June-August 2024) without humanitarian assistance, which is 14% higher than in 2023.
