In a bid to cushion the effects of escalating violence in Nigeria’s Benue and Plateau states, the European Union (EU) has announced an additional €250,000 (over ₦450 million) in humanitarian assistance, aimed at supporting thousands of displaced persons who have fled their communities over the last four months.
The emergency funding, announced Thursday via an official press release, will be channelled through the Nigerian Red Cross Society to provide critical aid to approximately 2,500 households, representing an estimated 15,000 people affected by ongoing attacks from armed groups.
“This EU funding will enable the Nigerian Red Cross to deliver immediate, life-saving humanitarian assistance… Support will include emergency cash assistance, essential household items, healthcare and psychosocial support, as well as water and sanitation,” the statement read.
The EU noted that women, children, and people who have experienced repeated displacement will receive special attention due to their heightened vulnerability, especially in overcrowded, under-resourced camps and informal shelters.
The humanitarian outlook remains grim. As of July 2025, over 615,000 people were reported displaced in Benue State alone, with an additional 65,000 in Plateau State. Many of those displaced are subsistence farmers who have been cut off from their land during the crucial planting season, leaving them with little means of survival.
“The majority reside in overcrowded internally displaced persons (IDP) camps or informal shelters, facing severe shortages of food, clean water, healthcare, and protection,” the EU said.
This latest aid package forms part of the EU’s broader support through the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF), managed by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). It follows a €500,000 (₦886 million) allocation in July to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to meet urgent needs in Benue over a six-month period.
The EU underscored the severity of the crisis, stating that “recurring and targeted violence in Benue and Plateau States continues to fuel a protracted protection crisis,” with new security threats emerging on a near-weekly basis.
“The humanitarian situation is dire, and the need for sustained humanitarian action remains paramount,” the Commission warned.
The European Commission’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) department currently has an €8 million delegation agreement with the IFRC, allowing the EU to replenish DREF funds up to €12 million for rapid emergency responses to small-scale disasters.
Established in 1979, DREF allows national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies to access immediate financial assistance, ensuring timely responses in crises that may not trigger large-scale international appeals.
Reaffirming its role as the world’s leading donor of humanitarian aid, the EU emphasised that its contributions are grounded in solidarity and a commitment to preserving human dignity, regardless of location or crisis.
The new funding is expected to be deployed immediately, as aid groups work to stabilise living conditions and provide essential services to thousands caught in the throes of a deepening humanitarian emergency in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
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