EU Donates Additional €250,000 in Humanitarian Aid to Support Displaced Families in Nigeria’s Benue and Plateau States

By Angel Ike

The European Union (EU) announced it is disbursing an additional €250,000 (over N450 million) in humanitarian assistance to support vulnerable populations affected by violent attacks in Benue and Plateau states, Nigeria.

This funding aims to assist the Nigerian Red Cross in delivering immediate, life-saving aid to 2,500 displaced households, approximately 15,000 people who have been forced from their homes over the past four months. Support includes emergency cash assistance, essential household items, healthcare, psychosocial services, as well as water and sanitation.

The EU emphasised that the initiative will also bolster protection services and conduct awareness campaigns focused on health, hygiene, and safety.

“This comprehensive approach seeks to alleviate suffering while safeguarding the dignity of vulnerable groups, particularly women, children, and those facing repeated displacement in overcrowded and underserved conditions,” the EU stated.

As of July 2025, more than 615,000 people are displaced in Benue State and nearly 65,000 in Plateau State, many of whom are subsistence farmers cut off from their land during the planting season. Most displaced individuals live in overcrowded camps or informal shelters with urgent needs for food, clean water, healthcare, and protection.

The new funding, according to the EU forms part of its contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) managed by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Additionally, the EU revealed that it provided the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) with €500,000 (approximately N886 million) in July to address urgent displacement needs in Benue State over six months.

The ongoing violence in Benue and Plateau states continues to fuel a prolonged protection crisis marked by destruction and a deepening humanitarian emergency. With new security threats emerging weekly, sustained humanitarian support remains critical.