Aleke Aleke in Abuja
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.
The EU said 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.
A statement by Public Affairs Officer, Politics Press and Information Section, Delegation of the European Union to the Federal Republic of Nigeria & ECOWAS, Ugo Sokari-George, said the EU is providing €500,000 to support essential humanitarian activities in Nigeria, especially in response to the devastating floods which impacted Kogi, Delta, and Anambra States in October.
Sokari-George revealed that 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 to the soil saturation.
“The floods have affected over 78,000 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.
“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,” she said.
She recalled that earlier in September, 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.
She noted that 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.
“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.
“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,” the statement said.
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.
