By MAUREEN OKON

The Federal Government will receive 33 million euros out of the 235 million euros from the European Commission’s humanitarian aid, to support the most vulnerable people in West and Central Africa.

The bloc made the announcement in a statement signed by Mr Modestus Chukwulaka, Press and Information Officer for the European Union (EU) delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said that the funding would support those affected by current conflicts and food crises, forcibly displaced people, host communities, and hard-to-reach populations.

According to him, out of the 235 million euros, 75 million euros will be directed to the Central Sahel, over 16.6 million euros to Cameroon, 22 million euros to the Central African Republic.

“Over 72 million to Chad, 4.8 million euros to Mauritania, 33 million euros to Nigeria, and over six million euros to coastal countries,” he said.

He said that an additional 6.4 million euros would support projects with regional scope.

Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, said that West and Central Africa were facing a storm of humanitarian crises, driven by conflict, poverty, hunger, instability, and climate shocks.

“Last year in Chad, I saw the human cost, families that had fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs, their homes lost, their livelihoods destroyed.

“For millions of people, humanitarian aid is not a choice. It is food on the table, clean water, medicine, shelter, and a chance for their children to learn again.

“The EU will always stand with people in crisis, as a reliable and principled humanitarian partner, to save lives, ease suffering, and bring hope where it is needed most,” she said.

She said that West and Central Africa regions were plagued by various humanitarian crises, with significant needs for humanitarian assistance.

“The primary driver of these crises is conflict, further intensified by the adverse effects of climate change and a multitude of local factors related to governance, demography and access to land and resources.”

In addition to these intertwined dynamics, standalone crises persist in North-West Nigeria, North-West and South-West (NWSW) Cameroon, and the Central African Republic. (NAN)