The European Union says it has provided a fresh 152.05 million euros to Nigeria and six other Sahel countries to bring relief to people in need in the region.
The EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis management, Christos Stylianide, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
“As countries in the Sahel continue to suffer from armed conflicts, climate change, and a food and nutrition crisis, the EU is providing 152.05 million euros to bring relief to people in need in the region.
“An additional €5.5 million is allocated to a regional project that fights malnutrition in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger,’’ he said.
According to him, the countries to benefit from the EU funding are Nigeria with 28 million euros, Burkina Faso with 15.7 million euros and Cameroon with 17.8 million euros.
Others he said include Chad with 27.2 million euros, Mali with 23.55 million euros, Mauritania with 11.15 million euros and Niger with 23.15 million euros.
He said that combined with last year’s funding, humanitarian assistance to the Sahel had been supported with over 423 million euros in EU aid, making the EU a leading donor in the region.
“The EU’s vital work in the Sahel continues to help the most vulnerable, in one of the poorest and most fragile regions in the world, where humanitarian needs are worryingly on the rise.
“The EU new aid package will provide food assistance, emergency health care, clean water, shelter, protection and education for children.
“To ensure aid saves lives, it is essential that humanitarian workers have full access to do their job,” he said.