The European Commission is confirming €450 million in humanitarian aid for Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt in 2026. The Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations announced the funding on 16 March 2026, as major donors withdraw from the region and international humanitarian law faces unprecedented strain, according to a press release. The funding will sustain life-saving assistance to millions of people across five countries. The €450 million package includes a mobilisation of €67.5 million from the Emergency Aid Reserve, pending approval by the budgetary authority.
In Syria, €210 million in EU humanitarian funding will sustain life-saving emergency response and protection across the entire country. More than a year after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, 16.5 million people continue to require humanitarian assistance. Among them, over 3.2 million returnees face destroyed infrastructure and a lack of livelihood opportunities. Funding covers food assistance, healthcare, shelter, clean water and education for children out of school.
In Palestine, €124 million will support food assistance, health, protection, shelter and education, delivered by partners operating under extremely difficult conditions. Over 3.3 million people remain in need, with 2.1 million in Gaza and 1.2 million in the occupied West Bank.
In Lebanon, €100 million will deliver emergency health care, basic assistance for families, protection services, shelter, and education for children out of school. In March 2026, Israeli airstrikes led to the displacement of more than 800,000 people.
In Jordan, €15.5 million will sustain essential services such as health and protection for refugees, both in and out of camps.
In Egypt, €8 million will support multi-sectoral assistance to the most vulnerable, including quality education and a regional programme on disaster preparedness.
“In a war-torn Middle East, the European Union is stepping up while others step back. We are now the largest donor still delivering humanitarian aid in some of the world’s most severe crises, helping people living through the darkest moments of their lives, said Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib.”
She added that Europe will defend international humanitarian law and continue delivering life-saving aid for as long as it is needed.
The delivery of humanitarian aid across the region is heavily affected by operational and logistical constraints, limited humanitarian access, a reduced humanitarian space, and continuous violations of international humanitarian law. The EU 2026 humanitarian aid allocations are made under the European Commission’s annual Worldwide Humanitarian Decision, implemented through country-specific Humanitarian Implementation Plans. Funding for humanitarian issues is allocated exclusively on the basis of need, in accordance with the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, and is delivered through the Commission’s longstanding network of UN agencies, international organisations and NGOs operating on the ground.
