Abuja, As violence and displacement continue to ravage communities in Nigeria’s north central region, the European Union has stepped in with a ₦450 million humanitarian lifeline aimed at restoring dignity and hope.
In a decisive move, the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS announced fresh funding to support over 15,000 people uprooted by armed attacks in Benue and Plateau States.
This emergency package, channelled through the Nigerian Red Cross, will deliver critical aid—from cash assistance and healthcare to clean water and psychosocial support—targeting the most vulnerable households caught in the crossfire of a deepening crisis.
According to the mission, the amount is an intervention in response to the mass displacement of people affected by a series of violent attacks by armed groups across Benue and Plateau in Nigeria’s north central zone.
He added that this EU funding would enable the Nigerian Red Cross to deliver immediate, life-saving humanitarian assistance to 2,500 vulnerable households (of around 15,000 people) who have been displaced over four months.
Chukwulaka said that the support would cover emergency cash assistance, essential household items, healthcare, psychosocial support, as well as water and sanitation.
According to him, beyond immediate relief, the initiative will strengthen protection services and conduct awareness campaigns on health, hygiene, and safety.
“This comprehensive approach aims to not only alleviate suffering but also to safeguard the dignity of vulnerable people, especially women, children, and those repeatedly displaced, who are now living in precarious, overcrowded, and underserved conditions.
“The humanitarian situation is dire. As of July 2025, more than 615,000 people are displaced in Benue, and an additional 65,000 are in Plateau.
“Many (of the displaced people) are subsistence farmers cut off from their land during the crucial planting season.
“The majority reside in overcrowded internally displaced people camps or informal shelters, facing severe shortages of food, clean water, healthcare, and protection.
“This funding is part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC),” the bloc stated.
It added that in July, the EU provided the International Organisation for Migration with 500,000 euros (approximately 886,315,000 naira) to meet the most urgent needs of displaced populations in Benue for 6 months.
The bloc observed that the recurring and targeted violence in Benue and Plateau has continued to fuel a protracted protection crisis, leading to widespread destruction and a deepening humanitarian emergency.
It added that with the new security threats emerging weekly, the need for sustained humanitarian action remains paramount for the bloc.
The EU and its member states are the world’s leading donors of humanitarian aid and relief assistance to people in need around the world.
It aims to save lives, prevent, and alleviate human suffering and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and artificial crises.
