The European Union on Friday announced that Nigeria and some nations in the sub-Saharan African region would receive about €510 million as humanitarian assistance to Africa in 2025.
With more than 300 million people estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2025, the EU announced an initial humanitarian budget of €1.9 billion for 2025.
The European Commission said funds would be channeled 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.
The Commission said another €470 million of the funding would be sent to the Middle East and North Africa, with emphasis on delivering aid to Gaza and Yemen.
The EU, which continues to remain a leading global humanitarian aid donor in the world, said it was upholding its commitment to help those most in need during the year.
“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,” the Commission said in the statement.
The EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, reiterated her call for safe and unimpeded access to people in need, as funding was not enough, adding that the organization should be able to reach the most vulnerable.
For this, she said there was an urgent need for all parties to respect International Humanitarian Law in their activities.
During the year, the EU would allocate a total of €375 million in humanitarian aid to Middle East, North Africa and the wider Middle East, as the humanitarian situation in the region remains extremely acute and fragile, particularly in Gaza.
The region has seen significant changes in recent months, including after the recent developments in Syria.
Another €95 million would be allocated to North Africa and Yemen: a region exposed to complex political, economic and social challenges, while Ukraine, now in its third year of war, would receive an initial allocation OF €140 million, with an additional €8 million to be allocated to humanitarian projects in neighbouring Moldova.
For Africa, a total of €510 million would support vulnerable people across the continent, with the aid to 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.
In Latin American and the Caribbean, an initial €113 million would 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.
About €182 million would be allocated to humanitarian assistance, in Asia and the Pacific, 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 of more than €295 million are to be reserved for worldwide actions in response to sudden-onset emergencies and unforeseen humanitarian crises that may arise throughout the year.
Over €110 million would be committed to horizontal activities, including innovative projects and policy initiatives, for example, the multi-year programmatic partnerships, and the enhanced response capacity.
The European Commission has been providing humanitarian aid since 1992 in over 110 countries, reaching millions of people across the globe each year. Its assistance is delivered through humanitarian partner organisations, such as European humanitarian non-governmental organisations, international organisations (including UN agencies), and specialised agencies in the
Member States.
The European Commission tracks closely the use of EU funds via its global network of humanitarian experts and has firm rules in place to ensure funding is well spent.