The Commission has allocated €102.5 million in humanitarian aid to help vulnerable communities in Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, as the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate in the Lake Chad region. Violence in the region, where the civilian population is increasingly the victim of targeted attacks, is resulting in large-scale displacement, disruption of livelihoods, and lack of access to basic services.
The pledge was made on the occasion of the High-Level Conference on the Lake Chad Region, held in Niamey on 23-24 January. The total amount for 2023 will be distributed as follows: Nigeria (34 million), Niger (25 million), Chad (26.5 million), and Cameroon (€17 million). The funding is part of the total €181.5 million allocated this year for the Lake Chad basin, the Central African Republic, and the Sahel, as announced.
The EU’s humanitarian aid in the Lake Chad region is targeted to:
- Providing life-saving assistance to people displaced by conflict and hosting communities;
- Responding to the most acute food needs of households and communities affected by conflict and treating severe acute undernutrition in children under 5;
- Giving access to healthcare to populations that are newly displaced or outside the reach of health authorities, and improving the access to safe water and sanitation;
- Supporting emergency education for displaced children and those in hard-to-reach areas;
- Strengthening disaster preparedness (e.g. early warning systems and climate resilience actions).