Nigeria and other African countries are set to benefit from €557 million in humanitarian assistance under the European Union’s €1.9 billion humanitarian aid budget for 2026.

The EU funding, announced on Wednesday, will support life-saving interventions across West and Central Africa, the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, North-West Nigeria, Central Africa, Southern Africa, the Great Lakes region and the Greater Horn of Africa. An additional €14.6 million has been earmarked specifically for North Africa.

European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said the announcement comes at a time when 239 million people worldwide are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, even as traditional donors are scaling back funding.

She noted that she is currently in Davos, engaging private sector actors to mobilise innovative financing solutions that will complement public funding and expand the reach of humanitarian aid.

“The humanitarian system is under unprecedented strain, and public funding alone will not meet the scale of the crisis. Europe is taking action, committing an initial €1.9 billion for 2026,” Lahbib said.

She added, “As the largest humanitarian donor, we are taking our political responsibility and leading the global response. That’s why I’m in Davos: to mobilise the private sector to think bigger, move faster, and act together. This is a test of solidarity, and Europe is rising to the challenge.”

The EU’s humanitarian aid is targeted at providing emergency food and shelter, critical healthcare, protection for vulnerable populations, and support for children’s education in crisis-affected areas.

Beyond Africa, the funding plan includes €448 million for the Middle East, particularly Gaza, Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon; €145 million for Ukraine, with an additional €8 million allocated to Moldova; €126 million for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran; €95 million for Central and South America and the Caribbean; and €73 million for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, including Myanmar and Bangladesh.

More than €415 million has also been set aside for sudden-onset emergencies worldwide and for maintaining a strategic humanitarian supply chain.

Commissioner Lahbib stressed that innovative approaches are crucial to bridging the growing gap between humanitarian needs and available resources, noting that mobilising the private sector is key to delivering aid faster, more efficiently and at scale.

Since 1992, the European Union and its Member States have remained the world’s leading humanitarian donors, providing assistance to more than 110 countries through United Nations agencies, international organisations, non-governmental organisations and specialised agencies.

The European Emergency Response Coordination Centre operates round the clock to coordinate rapid emergency support to countries affected by major disasters.