The EU is one of the leading contributors of humanitarian aid to people in need in Nigeria. In 2026, the EU is allocating an initial €44.7 million for humanitarian assistance, bringing the total since 2014 to over €581 million.
EU humanitarian aid in Nigeria helps to meet the basic needs of the conflict-affected people by supporting emergency food assistance, nutrition support, shelter, access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene, primary healthcare, protection and education.
The EU’s multifaceted response includes:
Food assistance:
Direct relief through cash transfers, vouchers, food rations, and agricultural support to help sustain internally displaced and host communities. Emergency distributions aim to stabilise food availability amid crises.
Nutrition support
Nutrition care, ready-to-use therapeutic foods and essential medicines to treat children who suffer from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition. The EU helps ensure continued procurement and delivery of therapeutic supplies, preventing stockouts amidst supply chain delays.
Healthcare access
Support to health services, including emergency medical supplies and stabilisation centres, to cope with peaks in malnutrition and infectious diseases, especially in overwhelmed under-resourced facilities.
Protection and education
Psychosocial support and referral services to unaccompanied children and victims of gender-based violence through community-based services. Education in emergencies projects ensure crisis-affected children get a basic education and essential school supplies.
Access and logistics
Support to coordination, to the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) and to IOM-run humanitarian hubs that help aid workers reach and work in isolated areas in a timely and safe manner.
Preparedness and resilience building
Projects to improve preparedness in disaster-prone areas help vulnerable people better prepare for recurrent shocks, such as epidemics and floods, reduce the impact of such recurring events on their lives. Communities receive essential information about risks and prevention, strengthening the local response through planning and preventive action.
Through its holistic approach, the EU aims to foster resilience in the face of recurrent crises, bridging immediate humanitarian needs with long-term development strategies. This includes amplifying advocacy, promoting synergies between humanitarian aid and development cooperation, and engaging governmental authorities to ensure sustainable humanitarian outcomes.
Through its development assistance, the EU aims to build long-term resilience in conflict-affected communities by addressing the underlying causes of violent conflict, supporting basic services and helping people to support themselves.
Source: civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu
