The European Union has released €225,000 (about N340 million) in humanitarian assistance to support communities affected by conflict-induced displacement in Kebbi State, as escalating attacks and communal violence continue to disrupt lives across the north-western Nigerian state.
The funding, which will be implemented by the Nigerian Red Cross over a six-month period, is expected to reach approximately 7,700 displaced people living in temporary settlements and host communities across Kebbi.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the EU Press and Information Officer, Modestus Chukwulaka in Abuja, Nigeria.
According to the statement, the assistance will focus primarily on multipurpose cash transfers, allowing displaced families to meet their most urgent needs, while protection services will be provided to vulnerable individuals and households.
It noted that the intervention comes against the backdrop of a sharp deterioration in security across seven Local Government Areas of the state, following attacks linked to organised banditry, armed groups and communal violence.
According to the statement, a sharp escalation in violence around August 31, 2026, triggered the humanitarian response after more than 16,600 people were affected across the state, including 7,706 people who were displaced and 108 who sustained injuries.
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“Families forced from their homes by conflict should not have to face hunger, unsafe living conditions and a lack of basic services without support.”
“The European Union’s assistance is aimed at helping the most vulnerable families meet their immediate needs while supporting humanitarian partners to respond quickly to changing patterns of displacement.”
The statement also noted that the Nigerian Red Cross will prioritise female-headed households, persons with disabilities, elderly people and individuals facing acute protection risks.
The response will also involve continuous monitoring of population movements and the mobilisation of local volunteers to identify emerging needs and ensure assistance reaches communities most in need.
The support would help the organisation provide timely assistance to people who had been displaced by the violence.
“Cash assistance gives affected families the flexibility to determine and address their most pressing needs with dignity, while our protection services will help ensure that people facing heightened risks are not left behind,”
Displaced families in temporary sites and host communities are currently facing urgent needs for shelter, food, clean water, healthcare and protection.
The EU said the intervention would also help lay the groundwork for longer-term recovery efforts by other humanitarian and development actors.
“The €225,000 contribution forms part of the European Union’s wider support to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ (IFRC) Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF)”.
The European Commission has signed a €16 million humanitarian delegation agreement with the IFRC to support the DREF, which provides rapid funding to National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies responding to disasters and emergencies.
The EU said its humanitarian assistance is guided by the needs of populations affected by conflicts and disasters, with the objective of saving lives, preventing and alleviating human suffering and protecting human dignity.
