The European Union (EU) has committed €500,000 in humanitarian aid to address the urgent needs of displaced populations in Benue State.

The announcement was made on Thursday by Mrs. Ugo Sokari-George, Public Affairs Officer of the Politics, Press and Information Section at the EU Embassy in Abuja. This funding, delivered in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), will provide critical support over a six-month period.

The aid will be directed towards crucial sectors such as protection, shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), as well as providing multi-purpose financial assistance. Mrs. Sokari-George highlighted that escalating armed violence in Benue State has displaced thousands, worsening an already critical humanitarian crisis.

In June 2025 alone, a fresh wave of attacks forced nearly 23,000 people to flee, many of whom had been previously displaced, intensifying their vulnerability. Conditions within the camps are dire, with severe shortages of family shelters and inadequate access to WASH facilities. Livelihood opportunities remain precarious, and protection risks have significantly increased, especially for women, children, and people with disabilities, complicating humanitarian response efforts.

The EU noted that this latest surge in violence is part of a protracted humanitarian crisis that has gripped Benue State since 2018, leading to the displacement of over 1.5 million people since then. The escalation of violence in 2024 and 2025 has already claimed an estimated 6,900 lives and displaced over 400,000 people, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

The EU emphasized its global leadership in humanitarian assistance, alongside its member states, stating that emergency aid reflects European solidarity with people in need worldwide. Its purpose is to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and uphold the integrity and dignity of populations affected by natural disasters or man-made crises. Through the European Commission’s civil protection and humanitarian aid operations, the EU assists millions of conflict and disaster victims annually, providing aid to the most vulnerable solely based on humanitarian needs from its headquarters in Brussels and a global network of local offices.