By Ebi Kesiena
The European Union (EU) is allocating €201 million in humanitarian funding to support the most vulnerable populations affected by crises in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Nigeria.
This announcement coincides with the Senior Officials Meeting on Sahel and Lake Chad, attended by Commissioner Janez Lenarčič in Brussels.
According to a press release, the funding will address critical needs such as food security, malnutrition, health care, protection, water, sanitation, hygiene, shelter, education, and the transportation of humanitarian workers and supplies to remote areas.
Specifically, the funding allocations are: Burkina Faso (€26.9 million), Cameroon (€21 million), and Chad (€57.9 million). This includes a newly allocated €8.7 million in response to the Sudan conflict and €3.1 million for an EU Humanitarian Air Bridge operation. Other allocations include Mali (€24 million), Mauritania (€5.7 million), Niger (€24.6 million), and Nigeria (€31.5 million).
READ ALSO: Kenyan Govt Delivers On Sh10,000 Aid To 25,000 Displaced Households
Speaking on the funds, Lenarčič said, “Insecurity, violence, and over a decade of armed conflict are driving communities in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions to new depths of suffering. Over 35 million people across these regions now require aid, with the crisis spilling over into West Africa’s coastal countries.
‘‘The EU is increasing its pledge for 2024 to over €200 million across these regions and calls on the international community to scale up its efforts.”
Moreover, €2.4 million is allocated through the Emergency Toolbox to respond to epidemics and population movements, providing targeted emergency assistance to vulnerable people outside the EU.
