• EU commits €235 million ($275 million) in humanitarian aid for vulnerable populations.

• Central Sahel receives the largest allocation with €75 million.

• UN estimates 24 million people will need assistance in 2026.

The European Union has announced €235 million ($275 million) in humanitarian aid to support vulnerable populations across Central and West Africa, according to a statement released on Wednesday, April 22. The funding targets countries including the Central African Republic, Chad, Mauritania, and Nigeria.

The EU said the funding will prioritize population protection, food assistance, healthcare and nutrition services, and education in emergency contexts. The bloc will direct the aid toward people affected by ongoing conflicts and food crises, forcibly displaced populations, host communities, and hard-to-reach groups.

Targeted Allocation by Country

The EU will allocate the largest share of funding, €75 million, to the Central Sahel. Authorities will use this funding to deliver life-saving emergency responses in conflict-affected and hard-to-access areas.

The EU will assign €72 million to Chad to ensure essential services for displaced populations in the eastern, Lake Chad, and Hadjer-Lamis provinces. Authorities will also use these funds to support newly displaced people and host communities.

The EU will grant €33 million to Nigeria to finance targeted interventions in the country’s northeast and northwest regions. The Central African Republic will receive €22 million, while Cameroon will obtain €16.6 million.

Mauritania will receive €4.8 million to sustain emergency assistance, primarily for Malian refugees, returning Mauritanians, and vulnerable host communities, particularly through food aid programs.

Moreover, the EU stated that “in coastal countries, more than €6 million will be allocated to emergency aid, food assistance, health services, protection, and coordination in areas most affected by insecurity and population displacement.” The statement added that an additional €6.4 million will support regional-scale projects.

Rising Humanitarian Needs

Humanitarian needs continue to increase across Central and West Africa as countries face complex crises driven by conflict, political instability, and the adverse effects of climate change.

In 2025, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimated that 14 million people were forcibly displaced across the two sub-regions. The agency attributed most displacements to internal population movements in the Central Sahel—identified by the EU as the crisis epicenter alongside the Lake Chad basin—and to the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which has triggered a large influx of displaced people into Chad.

Looking ahead, the United Nations has requested $5.1 billion in 2026 to provide assistance to 24 million of the most vulnerable people in Central and West Africa.

Lydie Mobio