By Olukayode Idowu
The European Union has allocated €1 million in emergency humanitarian funding to Nigeria to support the country’s response to the ongoing floods and cholera epidemic.
According to a statement by EU on Friday, this funding will help humanitarian partners on the ground deliver essential aid, including shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene services, and healthcare to those most affected by both crises.
According to the statement, in response to the devastating floods which have impacted Kogi, Delta, and Anambra States in October, the EU is providing €500,000 to support essential humanitarian activities in Nigeria.
The statement said the three states remain among the most affected. In several locations, the risk of flooding persists, as the water level remains high due to the river flow and to the soil saturation. The floods have affected over78,000 people and severely damaged thousands of houses and destroyed crops nearing harvest, particularly in areas affected by the convergence of the Niger and Benue Rivers.
It said the current funding will assist in providing food, shelter, water, sanitation, and protection services to the affected populations. Furthermore, this funding will allow anticipatory action with the replenishment of emergency stocks to be used in case of new floods occurring in the future.
Earlier in September this year, the EU had already allocated €1.1 million to humanitarian partners working in the Northeast and Northwest Nigeria as part of its response across West and Central Africa to address the impacts of flooding in the region.
The statement said in addition to the ongoing floods, Nigeria is also grappling with a cholera epidemic that has significantly impacted the health and well-being of affected populations, particularly in flood-prone areas. The cholera outbreak has been exacerbated by the floods, especially in regions with inadequate sanitation and poor access to clean water.
To support the response, the EU is allocating €500,000, with the hardest-hit areas include the northern states of Borno and Yobe, where overcrowding in displaced persons’ camps and unsafe water conditions have fueled the spread of the disease.
The statement added that this funding will be used to strengthen Nigeria’s health system through humanitarian partners by supporting medical care, water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions, covering case detection activities, establishing cholera treatment centers, and launching vaccination campaigns to curb the outbreak.
Nigeria is currently facing the twin challenges of widespread flooding and a cholera outbreak. The floods, which have affected over 1,3 million people across the country, continue to pose significant risks to both lives and livelihoods. The cholera outbreak, aggravated by poor sanitation and water contamination, threatens to further strain Nigeria’s health system. In response, the EU is working alongside Nigerian authorities and humanitarian organizations to provide urgent relief and to ensure early recovery for affected communities.
These additional funds bring the total EU humanitarian funding for Nigeria in 2024 to € 48,7 million focusing mainly on the Northeast and Northwest, affected by conflict and insecurity and with alarming rates of people in food crisis and children suffering from life-threatening malnutrition.
The European Union and its Member States are the world’s leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all 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 man-made crises. Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the European Union provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.
