The European Union has set aside €557 million in humanitarian assistance for West and Central Africa, with Nigeria’s North-West region identified as a priority area, under its initial €1.9 billion humanitarian budget for 2026.
The allocation was announced on Wednesday by the European Commission against the backdrop of intensifying global humanitarian challenges. An estimated 239 million people worldwide are currently in need of assistance, even as several major donors scale back funding.
According to the Commission, the €557 million package will support vulnerable populations across the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, North-West Nigeria, Central and Southern Africa, the Great Lakes region and the Greater Horn of Africa. The funding will provide life-saving support, including emergency food aid, shelter, healthcare services, protection for at-risk groups and educational assistance for children affected by conflict and displacement.
Beyond Africa, the EU has earmarked €448 million for humanitarian needs in the Middle East, particularly Gaza following last year’s fragile ceasefire, as well as Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. Ukraine will receive €145 million as Russia’s invasion enters its fourth year, alongside an additional €8 million for humanitarian projects in Moldova.
Other regional allocations include €126 million for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran; €95 million for Central and South America and the Caribbean; €73 million for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a focus on the crisis in Myanmar and its impact on Bangladesh; and €14.6 million for North Africa. In addition, more than €415 million has been reserved to respond to sudden emergencies worldwide and to sustain a strategic humanitarian supply chain.
European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said the funding underscores the EU’s determination to maintain humanitarian leadership despite mounting pressure on the global aid system.
“The humanitarian system is under unprecedented strain, and public funding alone will not meet the scale of the crisis,” Lahbib said. “Europe is taking responsibility by committing an initial €1.9 billion for 2026 and leading the global response.”
As part of efforts to address the growing gap between humanitarian needs and available resources, Lahbib is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, where she is engaging business leaders and investors on how private sector innovation and financing can complement public aid. She is also expected to co-host an event on 22 January focusing on new partnerships in aid and development.
The EU and its Member States remain the world’s largest humanitarian aid donors, having supported relief efforts in more than 110 countries since 1992 through partnerships with non-governmental organisations, United Nations agencies and other international bodies. Humanitarian responses are coordinated through the European Emergency Response Coordination Centre, which operates круглthe clock to assist countries affected by major disasters.
The Commission reaffirmed that all EU humanitarian assistance will continue to be guided by core humanitarian principles, ensuring that aid reaches those most in need, irrespective of location or circumstance.
