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EU Sets Aside €557m for West and Central Africa as Part of €1.9bn Humanitarian Budget for 2026
EU Sets Aside €557m for West and Central Africa as Part of €1.9bn Humanitarian Budget for 2026
By: Michael Mike
The European Union has announced a €557 million humanitarian aid package for West and Central Africa, with Nigeria’s North-West region identified as a key focus area, as part of its initial €1.9 billion humanitarian budget for 2026.
The allocation, unveiled on Wednesday by the European Commission, comes amid growing global humanitarian pressures, with an estimated 239 million people currently in need of assistance worldwide and several major donors reducing their funding commitments.
According to the Commission, the €557 million will support vulnerable populations across West and Central Africa, including the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, North-West Nigeria, Central and Southern Africa, the Great Lakes region and the Greater Horn of Africa. The funding is intended to provide life-saving assistance such as emergency food, shelter, healthcare services, protection for at-risk groups and educational support for children affected by crises.
Beyond Africa, the EU has earmarked €448 million for the Middle East, particularly Gaza, following last year’s fragile ceasefire, as well as Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. Humanitarian needs in Ukraine will receive €145 million as Russia’s invasion enters its fourth year, alongside an additional €8 million for projects in Moldova.
Other regional allocations include €126 million for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran; €95 million for Central and South America and the Caribbean; €73 million for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with emphasis on the Myanmar crisis and its spillover into Bangladesh; and €14.6 million for North Africa. In addition, more than €415 million has been set aside to respond to sudden emergencies globally and to maintain a strategic humanitarian supply chain.
European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said the EU’s decision reflects its resolve to sustain humanitarian action despite mounting challenges to international aid and humanitarian law.
“The humanitarian system is under unprecedented strain, and public funding alone will not meet the scale of the crisis,” Lahbib said. “Europe is taking responsibility by committing an initial €1.9 billion for 2026 and leading the global response.”
As part of efforts to bridge the widening gap between humanitarian needs and available resources, Lahbib is in Davos this week to engage business leaders and investors on how private sector innovation and financing can complement public aid. She is also expected to co-host an event with the World Economic Forum on 22 January focusing on new partnerships in aid and development.
The EU and its Member States remain the world’s largest humanitarian aid donors, having provided assistance in more than 110 countries since 1992 through partnerships with non-governmental organisations, United Nations agencies and other international bodies. Humanitarian responses are coordinated through the European Emergency Response Coordination Centre, which operates around the clock to support countries affected by major disasters.
The Commission reaffirmed that its humanitarian assistance would continue to be guided by humanitarian principles, ensuring aid reaches those most in need, regardless of location.
EU Sets Aside €557m for West and Central Africa as Part of €1.9bn Humanitarian Budget for 2026
Two suspected criminals arrested during patrol in Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Sector 1 under Operation Enduring Peace have arrested two suspected criminals during a routine patrol in Jos East Local Government Area of Plateau.
Security sources disclosed that the suspects, identified as Azi Ezekiel, 21, and Ajiji Emmanuel, 19, were apprehended at about 10:30 a.m. on Saturday along the road leading to Forbur Village.
The sources said the suspects were intercepted by troops of Sector 1, Sub-Sector 12, while conducting a routine patrol in the area.
According to the sources, the two suspects have been handed over to the Keystone Police Station in Forbur for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The arrest forms part of ongoing security operations aimed at combating criminal activities and enhancing safety across Plateau State.
Two suspected criminals arrested during patrol in Plateau
Troops arrest suspected kidnapper in Plateau community
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Sector 4 of Operation Enduring Peace have arrested a suspected kidnapper during a security operation in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau.
Security sources said the suspect, identified as Mohamdu Surajo, 29, was arrested at about 6:45 p.m. on Friday at Sabon Layi Village following sustained security operations in the area.
The sources disclosed that the suspect is currently in military custody and is undergoing preliminary interrogation to aid ongoing investigations.
They added that the arrest is part of continued efforts by security forces to dismantle criminal networks and enhance security across Plateau State.
Troops arrest suspected kidnapper in Plateau community
Venezuela Solidarity Group Urges U.S. to Lift Sanctions After Deadly Earthquakes
By: Michael Mike
The Venezuela Solidarity Campaign in Nigeria (VSCN) has called for the immediate and unconditional lifting of United States sanctions on Venezuela, arguing that the restrictions are hampering humanitarian relief and reconstruction efforts following devastating twin earthquakes that reportedly killed more than 2,000 people and displaced over 50,000 others.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its coordinator, Comrade Dimeji Macaulay, the group expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people and the Bolivarian Government, describing the earthquakes as a humanitarian tragedy that has left widespread destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, roads and other critical infrastructure.
The organisation extended condolences to families of the victims and praised what it described as the resilience of the Venezuelan people in confronting the disaster despite years of economic hardship.
According to the VSCN, the U.S. sanctions have weakened Venezuela’s capacity to respond effectively to the emergency by limiting access to financial resources and restricting the importation of medicines, equipment, technology and other essential materials.
The group maintained that maintaining the sanctions during a humanitarian crisis amounts to collective punishment against ordinary citizens and called for their permanent removal to facilitate relief operations and long-term reconstruction.
“There can be no moral or legal justification for maintaining an economic blockade against a country struggling to save lives and rebuild after a devastating natural disaster,” the statement said, adding that every day the sanctions remain in force prolongs the suffering of the Venezuelan people.
The campaign also urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to publicly support the removal of the sanctions, strengthen diplomatic relations with Venezuela and contribute to international humanitarian efforts for victims of the disaster.
It further appealed to the African Union to reject unilateral coercive measures, describing them as violations of international law, while calling on African countries to support Venezuela’s recovery.
The group equally called on the United Nations to intensify humanitarian assistance and ensure that sanctions do not obstruct emergency relief operations or reconstruction programmes.
Beyond governments and international organisations, the VSCN appealed to trade unions, youth organisations, civil society groups and progressive political movements across Africa and the wider international community to demonstrate solidarity with Venezuela by opposing what it described as economic warfare and supporting the country’s right to determine its future without external interference.
Reaffirming its commitment to the Venezuelan cause, the organisation said it would continue campaigning until the sanctions are lifted, insisting that Venezuela’s recovery should not be hindered by external political considerations
Venezuela Solidarity Group Urges U.S. to Lift Sanctions After Deadly Earthquakes
Troops Arrest Two Suspected Berom Militia Linked to NIPSS Attack as Security Sources Say Investigation Supports Earlier Leads
Two suspected criminals arrested during patrol in Plateau
Troops arrest suspected kidnapper in Plateau community
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