As the humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad region worsens, the European Union has given €102.5 million in humanitarian aid to assist vulnerable communities in Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.
In a statement, the organization claimed that the violence in the area, where civilians are increasingly the targets of targeted attacks, is leading to widespread displacement, interruption of livelihoods, and a lack of access to essential services.
The commitment was made during the High-Level Conference on the Lake Chad Region, which took place in Niamey from January 23 to 24.
It continued that the whole money for 2023 would be split as follows: 34 million euros will go to Nigeria, 25 million euros to Niger, 26.5 million euros to Chad, and 17 million euros to Cameroon.
According to the EU, the financing represents a portion of the total €181.5 million allotted this year for the Sahel, Central African Republic, and the Lake Chad Basin.
“Over 24 million people in these four countries are estimated to need humanitarian assistance, an increase of 9.5 percent from last year.
“This funding will provide much needed support to vulnerable communities impacted by conflict, displacement and increasing food insecurity.
“As the region faces an unprecedented food crisis, we will continue to monitor the situation and to react with additional funding if necessary,” the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič said on Monday.
The goal of the EU’s humanitarian assistance in the Lake Chad region is to treat severe acute undernutrition in children under in addition to meeting the most urgent food needs of households and communities affected by conflict and providing life-saving assistance to people displaced by conflict and hosting communities.
Additionally, it intends to increase access to clean water and sanitation and provide healthcare to populations that have recently been displaced or are outside the purview of health authorities.
Supporting emergency education for displaced children and those in difficult-to-reach locations, as well as enhancing catastrophe readiness, are other goals (such as early warning systems and climate resilience actions).
Background
The Lake Chad Basin is still one of the world’s most vulnerable areas.
It is impacted by a number of long-lasting humanitarian crises brought on by conflicts, which are made worse by other elements including food insecurity, chronic undernutrition, natural disasters, a lack of governmental presence, rapid population expansion, and the escalating consequences of climate change.
Conflict, a loss in agricultural output because of conflict and climate change, and rising food costs on international markets are all contributing to a historic food crisis that is still going on.
In addition, more and more human rights and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) abuses are occurring, which limits the ability of humanitarian personnel to respond.
The EU contributed around €189.5 million in 2022 to fund humanitarian initiatives in the four nations in the region.
