The European Union has announced an initial humanitarian assistance of €510 million to Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries in 2025. The European Commission said in a statement on Thursday that “these funds are set to be channelled across “West and Central Africa, the Sahel, the Lake Chad basin, North-West Nigeria, Central Africa, the Great Lakes region and the Greater Horn of Africa”. A further €470 million of the funding is destined for the Middle East and North Africa, with a particular emphasis being on delivering aid to Gaza and Yemen.
The EU continues to remain a leading global humanitarian aid donor. With more than 300 million people estimated to need humanitarian assistance in 2025, the EU on Thursday announced an initial humanitarian budget for 2025 of €1.9 billion.
“With more than 300 million people needing humanitarian assistance in 2025, the EU is upholding its commitment to help those most in need as a leading humanitarian aid donor. Our humanitarian aid funding will support our partners on the ground – the UN family, the Red Cross/Red Crescent family, international and local government and non-governmental organisations – to provide life-saving, emergency assistance where needed. At the same time, I reiterate my call for safe and unimpeded access to people in need: funding is not enough – we need to be able to reach the most vulnerable. And for this, there is an urgent need for all parties to respect International Humanitarian Law,” Hadja Lahbib, EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, said.
The EU’s humanitarian aid will be allocated as follows:
Middle East and North Africa
€375 million will be allocated to the wider Middle East. The humanitarian situation remains extremely acute and fragile, particularly in Gaza. The region has seen significant changes in recent months, including after the recent developments in Syria.
€95 million will be allocated to North Africa and Yemen: a region exposed to complex political, economic and social challenges.
Ukraine
For Ukraine, now in its third year of war, the initial allocation is €140 million. An additional €8 million is allocated to humanitarian projects in neighbouring Moldova.
Africa
For Africa, a total of €510 million will support vulnerable people across the continent. Aid will be channeled in West and Central Africa, the Sahel, the Lake Chad basin, North-West Nigeria, the Central Africa, the Great Lakes region and the Greater Horn of Africa.
Latin American and the Caribbean
An initial €113 million will be directed at addressing the domestic and regional impact of the crisis in Venezuela, the needs of the most vulnerable people affected by the armed conflicts in Colombia, the complex crisis in Haiti and the violence in Central America, Mexico and Ecuador.
Asia and the Pacific
Around €182 million in Asia will be allocated to humanitarian assistance, in particular for the Myanmar crisis and its impact in Bangladesh, as well as for the crisis in Afghanistan.
Moreover, €35 million are allocated to the Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region as well as €5 million in the southern Caucasus and Central Asia.
Additional emergency funding
More than €295 million are reserved for worldwide actions, responding to sudden-onset emergencies and unforeseen humanitarian crises that may arise throughout the year.
Over €110 million will be committed to horizontal activities, including innovative projects and policy initiatives, for example, the multi-year programmatic partnerships, and the enhanced response capacity.
