EU offers €138m in humanitarian funding for Lake Chad region

The European Commission has announced a new funding of €138 million combining humanitarian and development assistance for vulnerable communities in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
This funding is part of an overall EU aid package for the region worth €232 million.
The new aid package was announced on Monday at the High Level Conference on the Lake Chad Region in Berlin, Germany, said a statement from the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS.
At the conference attended by more than 70 states, international organizations and non-governmental organizations, donors pledged $2.17 billion, which would be made available “over coming years”, according to a German foreign ministry statement.
Germany, a leading destination for migrants including from Africa, pledged an extra 100 million euros ($116 million) for humanitarian aid in the region up to 2020. This was on top of 40 million euros in funding for stabilization and conflict prevention efforts, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said.
The European Commission said its €138 million humanitarian funding would be shared among the four countries of the region. Nigeria will get €47 million, Niger €15 million, while Chad and Cameroon will shared €11.8 million and €15.1 million respectively.
Out of this funding, €58.75 million was announced in July 2018 as part of humanitarian assistance provided by the EU to the Sahel countries, the statement added.
The EU said the new humanitarian assistance would cover the acute food and nutrition needs as well as supporting protection activities, access to basic health care and shelter.
The EU will also support livelihoods and help people rebuild their lives.
The statement quoted the EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides as saying “The disastrous effects of armed conflict and violence in the Lake Chad basin have had a serious impact in an area already plagued by poverty and the extreme effects of climate change.
“The EU is committed to continue to help the most vulnerable. Today we are stepping up our humanitarian and development assistance. What is crucial is for all parties to the conflict to ensure full access throughout the region so our aid can reach those in need.”