The European Union (EU) has announced a fresh humanitarian funding of €250,000 (approximately ₦450 million) to support thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria’s Benue and Plateau States. The aid comes in response to the rising humanitarian crisis triggered by a series of violent attacks in the country’s north-central region, which have left communities in turmoil and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.
In a press statement released on Thursday, August 7, 2025, by Mr. Modestus Chukwulaka, the EU Delegation’s Press and Information Officer, the bloc emphasized that the emergency funding will enable the Nigerian Red Cross Society to provide urgent assistance to 2,500 of the most vulnerable households estimated at around 15,000 individuals who have been displaced over the last four months.
Delivering Critical Lifeline Support
The EU’s intervention, which forms part of its broader humanitarian commitment to Nigeria, will cover emergency cash assistance, essential household items, access to basic healthcare, psychosocial support, as well as clean water and sanitation. In addition to meeting immediate survival needs, the initiative will also fund protection services and health and hygiene awareness campaigns in affected communities.
“This comprehensive approach aims to not only alleviate suffering but also safeguard the dignity of vulnerable people especially women, children, and those repeatedly displaced who are now living in overcrowded, precarious, and underserved conditions,” Mr. Chukwulaka noted in the statement.
A Crisis of Massive Proportions
The scope of the humanitarian emergency in the Middle Belt is alarming. As of July 2025, over 615,000 people have been displaced in Benue State alone, while Plateau State accounts for an additional 65,000 IDPs, according to figures from the EU.
“Many of these individuals are subsistence farmers who have been cut off from their farmlands during a critical planting season,” the EU warned. “They now face severe food insecurity and live in camps or makeshift shelters with little or no access to clean water, healthcare, and safety.”
The humanitarian grant is part of the EU’s contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Cumulative Efforts in the Region
This latest funding builds on earlier EU support provided in July, when the bloc allocated €500,000 (approximately ₦886 million) to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for emergency relief operations in Benue over a six-month period. That support aimed to meet urgent needs such as shelter, protection, food, and psychosocial care.
According to the EU’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), Nigeria continues to be a key focus area for the bloc’s humanitarian strategy in West Africa. EU-funded projects in the country target vulnerable populations affected by conflict, natural disasters, and displacement, including communities in the northeast, northwest, and now increasingly in the north-central zone.
Protracted Crisis and Fragile Security
The EU has sounded the alarm over what it describes as a “protracted protection crisis” driven by recurring and targeted violence in Benue and Plateau States. Armed group attacks, inter-communal clashes, and land disputes have continued to destabilize the region, often leaving security agencies overstretched and unable to fully protect vulnerable civilians.
With new security threats emerging weekly, the EU cautions that humanitarian needs in the region are likely to grow. It is urging other international partners and the Nigerian government to sustain humanitarian efforts, strengthen peacebuilding, and invest in long-term development to prevent further escalation.
What Analysts Are Saying
Human rights groups and humanitarian organizations have welcomed the EU’s intervention, calling for more robust collaboration between state and non-state actors.
Dr. Fatima Musa, a humanitarian policy expert at the University of Abuja, told Nairametrics that, “The EU’s financial backing is timely, but what is needed now is a multi-layered response that combines emergency aid, conflict resolution, and long-term resilience building for displaced populations.”
She added that the ongoing instability in Benue and Plateau, long considered Nigeria’s food belt, also poses a serious threat to national food security, especially amid current inflation and currency challenges.
Bottom Line
As Nigeria grapples with deepening humanitarian challenges, the EU’s €250,000 emergency fund is a welcome relief. However, experts warn that without coordinated security reforms, sustainable peace initiatives, and government-led reconstruction efforts, millions may remain trapped in cycles of violence and displacement.
