The European Union has announced a €1.9 billion humanitarian aid budget for 2026, with €557 million specifically allocated to West and Central Africa, including the Sahel, Lake Chad basin, and North-West Nigeria. This funding excludes a separate €14.6 million dedicated to North Africa. The announcement comes amid growing humanitarian needs, with 239 million people worldwide requiring assistance and many major donors reducing their contributions.
The aid will focus on life-saving support, including emergency food and shelter, healthcare, protection for vulnerable populations, and educational support for children in crisis zones. The EU emphasized that its aid is principled and aims to reach people in need wherever they are, even as humanitarian law faces unprecedented challenges.
In addition to the African allocation, the 2026 budget provides €448 million to the Middle East, covering Gaza, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon; €145 million to Ukraine, with an extra €8 million for Moldova; €126 million for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran; €95 million for Central and South America and the Caribbean; and €73 million for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, particularly the Myanmar crisis and its impact in Bangladesh. Over €415 million is reserved for sudden-onset emergencies worldwide and to maintain a strategic supply chain.
European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, is using the announcement to engage the private sector at the World Economic Forum in Davos. She aims to mobilize innovative financing solutions and private sector resources to complement public funding and help close the gap between humanitarian needs and available aid.
The EU has a long-standing history in humanitarian assistance, providing aid since 1992 in over 110 countries through NGOs, UN agencies, and specialized EU agencies. The European Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) supports rapid deployment and coordination of emergency aid inside and outside the EU, ensuring timely assistance in disaster situations.
Commissioner Lahbib emphasized that the scale of current global crises exceeds what public funding alone can address. Europe is taking the lead as the largest humanitarian donor, committing €1.9 billion for 2026 while seeking to leverage private sector participation to deliver faster, more innovative, and more effective humanitarian responses.
