July 24, 2025
The European Union (EU) has allocated €500,000 (N886 million) in humanitarian aid to tackle the challenges faced by displaced populations in Benue.
The bloc made the commitment on Thursday in a statement signed by Mrs. Ugo Sokari-George, the Public Affairs Officer, of Politics, Press and Information Section of the EU Embassy in Abuja.
Sokari-George said the EU funding in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) would provide support for a period of six months.
She said that it would implement activities in sectors such as protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene as well as multi-purpose financial aid.
The public affairs Officer noted that the escalating armed violence in Benue State, Nigeria, had displaced thousands of people, exacerbating an already critical humanitarian crisis.
“In June 2025, a wave of attacks forced almost 23,000 people to flee, many of whom had already been displaced in the past, triggering a cycle of heightened vulnerability. Conditions inside the camps are dire.
“There is a severe lack of shelter for families, and inadequate access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
“Access to livelihoods remains precarious, while protection risks have increased considerably, particularly for women, children and people with disabilities, making the humanitarian response even more complex,” it stated.
Also, it stated that the latest wave of violence was part of a protracted humanitarian crisis that had been shaking Benue state since 2018 adding that more than 1.5 million people had been displaced from their homes since 2018.
“The escalation of violence in 2024 and 2025 has already claimed some 6,900 lives and displaced more than 400,000 people, stressing the urgency of the situation.”
According to the bloc, the EU along with its member states, is the world’s leading donor of humanitarian aid.
“Emergency aid is an expression of European solidarity with people in need around the globe.
“Its purpose is to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and preserve the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters or man-made crises”.
Through its headquarters in Brussels and its worldwide network of local offices, the EU provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the sole basis of humanitarian needs.
