EU Unveils €235m Aid Package to Address Worsening Crises in West and Central Africa
The European Commission has announced a €235 million humanitarian aid package to respond to escalating crises across West and Central Africa, where conflict, food insecurity, displacement, and climate shocks continue to impact millions.
The funding will focus on the region’s most vulnerable populations, including those affected by armed violence, hunger, and limited access to essential services. Of the total amount, €75 million has been allocated to the Central Sahel, widely seen as the epicentre of instability in the region.
Additional allocations include over €72 million for Chad, €33 million for Nigeria, €22 million for the Central African Republic, €16.6 million for Cameroon, €4.8 million for Mauritania, and more than €6 million for coastal countries. A further €6.4 million will support cross-regional humanitarian programmes.
Speaking on the initiative, Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, described the situation as a convergence of multiple emergencies.
She noted that West and Central Africa is facing overlapping challenges driven by conflict, poverty, hunger, instability, and climate-related shocks, drawing from her recent visit to displaced communities in Chad.
According to Lahbib, the funding will deliver essential assistance, including food, clean water, healthcare, shelter, and education for children affected by violence and displacement.
Humanitarian conditions across the region remain severe. Ongoing conflicts in the Central Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin continue to spill across borders, worsening instability in coastal countries and forcing large-scale displacement. The crisis in Sudan has also placed additional pressure on resources in eastern Chad, while separate emergencies persist in north-western Nigeria, parts of Cameroon, and the Central African Republic.
The European Union reaffirmed its role as a dependable humanitarian partner, stating that the intervention aims not only to save lives but also to restore dignity and hope to affected communities.
