EU Approves Over €181m Humanitarian Aid For West, Central Africa

Posted by Eric Ojo Africa, African News, Latest Headlines, West Africa Tuesday, February 7th, 2023

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The European Union (EU) has announced that it has allocated €181.5 million humanitarian aid for West and Central Africa this year.

This is coming at the heels of the region’s protracted crises driven by conflict and worsened by other factors such as climate change and the global spike in food prices.

One of the poorest and most fragile regions in the world, West and Central Africa continues to suffer from a combination of major protracted humanitarian crises, driven by conflicts and exacerbated by other aspects including food insecurity, chronic undernutrition, natural hazards, recurrent epidemics and the growing impact of climate change.

Currently, the region is experiencing an unprecedented food crisis, aggravated by the rising cost of food, which increased on average between 40 and 60 percent in the past year, due to local factors such as scarce rainfalls and also to global trends. Several Sahel and Central African countries are highly dependent on cereal imports from Russia and Ukraine.

Moreover, countries in West and Central Africa are extremely vulnerable to weather-related hazards such as droughts and floods, intensified by climate change. Some of the most vulnerable countries to climate change worldwide are in the region, notably Chad and Central Africa Republic (CAR)

New allocations have been announced for Burkina Faso (€25.5 million), Mali (€26 million), Mauritania (€6.5 million) and Central African Republic (€20.5 million), together with a regional allocation of €500 000.

These add to the EU funding already pledged for Nigeria (€34 million), Niger (€25 million), Chad (€26.5 million) and Cameroon (€17 million) last month, during the High-Level Conference on the Lake Chad Region held in Niamey.

The announcement was made on the occasion of the EU-Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ministerial meeting held in Brussels on Monday. Up to €111 million of the mentioned budget will benefit ECOWAS members.

The EU’s humanitarian aid in West and Central Africa will cover the following areas such as the provision of life-saving aid to populations displaced by conflict and to hosting communities, supporting victims of human right violations, including survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and children affected by conflicts.

It will also help in providing food for households and communities most in need, focusing on the lean season and hard-to-reach areas, and treating severe acute undernutrition in children under 5; offer healthcare to populations outside the reach of health authorities and improving access to safe water and sanitation; supporting emergency education for children that are displaced or cannot attend school;

In addition, the aid will equally go a long way in enhancing disaster preparedness actions, such as early warning systems and climate resilience measures.

Notably, the Commission has already requested an extra allocation of €32 million from the budgetary authorities. If approved, €25 million would be destined to countries within the ECOWAS bloc.

Last year, over 38 million people needed assistance in West and Central Africa, where the security situation remains highly concerning. As a global repercussion of Russian aggression against Ukraine food insecurity is reaching unprecedented levels.

Commissioner for Crisis Management at EU, Janez Lenarčič said the delivery of humanitarian assistance is increasingly difficult, especially due to rising non-compliance with International Humanitarian Law.

“While sustainable solutions need to be found, the newly announced EU funding will help to address the growing humanitarian needs across the region, reflecting the EU’s solidarity with those most vulnerable”, he said.