The European Union has announced an additional €250,000 in humanitarian assistance to support thousands of people displaced by escalating violence in Benue and Plateau states.
The funds will be channelled through the Nigerian Red Cross to assist approximately 2,500 households, an estimated 15,000 people, who have been forced to flee their homes in the past four months due to attacks by armed groups.
“In response to the mass displacement caused by a series of violent attacks by armed groups across Benue and Plateau states of Nigeria, the European Union is releasing an additional €250,000 (over N450m) in humanitarian assistance to help people in need.
“This EU funding will enable the Nigerian Red Cross to deliver immediate, life-saving humanitarian assistance to 2,500 vulnerable households (around 15,000 people) who have been displaced for over four months.
“Support will include emergency cash assistance, essential household items, healthcare and psychosocial support, as well as water and sanitation,” the EU stated in a release on Thursday.
Particular attention is being given to women, children, and individuals displaced multiple times and currently living in overcrowded and under-resourced camps.
According to the EU, most displaced people were living in informal shelters or overcrowded camps and face severe shortages of food, clean water, healthcare, and protection.
“The humanitarian situation is dire. As of July 2025, over 615,000 people are displaced in Benue State, and an additional 65,000 are in Plateau State.
“Many subsistence farmers are cut off from their land during the crucial planting season.
“The majority reside in overcrowded internally displaced people camps or informal shelters, facing severe shortages of food, clean water, healthcare, and protection,” the statement noted.
This latest funding is part of the EU’s broader support for the Disaster Response Emergency Fund managed by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
“In July, the EU allocated €500,000 (approximately N886m) to the International Organisation for Migration to meet urgent humanitarian needs in Benue over a six-month period,” the statement added.
The EU noted that “recurring and targeted violence in Benue and Plateau states continues to fuel a protracted protection crisis, leading to widespread destruction and a deepening humanitarian emergency.”
It added that with new security threats emerging weekly, the need for sustained humanitarian action remained paramount.
It said its contributions were driven by solidarity and a commitment to preserving human dignity in the face of crises.
The European Commission currently has an €8m delegation agreement with the IFRC to support DREF, which provides rapid emergency funding for small-scale disasters that do not trigger international appeals.
Established in 1979, the DREF enables national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies to access immediate financial support.
The agreement between the EU and IFRC allows the EU to replenish DREF funds up to a total of €12m for eligible operations.
