By Kolawole Ojebisi
As Nigeria and many other countries in sub-Saharan African are striving to surmount all manner of crises confronting them, the European Union (EU) Commission has allocated €510 million towards helping to advance the goals of nations in that regard.
The Press and Information Officer for EU delegation in Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Modestus Chukwulaka, disclosed this in a statement at the weekend.
Chukwulaka noted that, Hadja Lahbib, the bloc’s commissioner for equality preparedness and crisis management, announced the allocations.
Lahbib said the amount is part of €1.9 billion earmarked for the 2025 humanitarian assistance.
She stated that the funds are to be channeled to West and Central Africa, the Sahel, the Lake Chad basin, north-west Nigeria, the Great Lakes region, and the Horn of Africa.
She added that €470 million of the funding is allocated to the Middle East and North Africa to assist in delivering aid to Gaza and Yemen.
“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,” the statement reads.
“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 lifesaving, 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.”
The commissioner said in the Middle East, €375 million will be allocated while €95 million will be allocated to North Africa and Yemen.
“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,” Lahbib said.
“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, Central Africa, the Great Lakes region, and the Greater Horn of Africa.
“For Latin America 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.”
