EU Provides N800m Support to Displaced Benue Residents Amid Attacks

Following increased deadly attacks and a deepening humanitarian crisis, the European Union has committed €500,000 (approximately N886 million) to deliver urgent humanitarian aid to thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Benue State.

The EU reports a staggering 1.5 million people have been displaced since 2018, with an additional 400,000 displaced and 6,900 lives lost between 2024 and 2025 alone.

In a statement released on Thursday, July 24, Ugo Sokari-George, the EU’s Public Affairs Officer for the Politics, Press and Information Section, confirmed that the funding will be utilized over a six-month period to support crucial interventions in partnership with the International Organization for Migration.

The statement reads: “In response to the influx of displaced people following the recent attacks in Benue State, the EU has released €500,000 (approximately NGN 886,315,000) to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs.

“This EU funding will support, for a period of six months, and in partnership with the IOM, efforts to implement activities in sectors such as protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as multi-purpose financial aid.

“Escalating armed violence in Benue State, Nigeria, has displaced thousands of people, exacerbating an already critical humanitarian crisis.

“In June 2025, a wave of attacks forced almost 23,000 people to flee, many of whom had already been displaced in the past, triggering a cycle of heightened vulnerability.”

The EU said the aid package will focus on protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene as well as multi-purpose cash assistance for affected populations.

It stated: “Conditions inside the camps are dire. There is a severe lack of shelter for families, and inadequate access to water, sanitation and hygiene(WASH).

“Access to livelihoods remains precarious, while protection risks have increased considerably, particularly for women, children and people with disabilities, making the humanitarian response even more complex.

“This latest wave of violence is part of a protracted humanitarian crisis that has been shaking the state of Benue since 2018. More than 1.5 million people have been displaced from their homes since 2018.

“The escalation of violence in 2024 and 2025 has already claimed some 6,900 lives and displaced more than 400,000 people, stressing the urgency of the situation.”

Persecondnews reports that Benue, a North Central state, has experienced recurring violent attacks between farming communities and nomadic herders, often sparked by disputes over land and water resources, resulting in significant loss of life and displacement.

The Benue State government, under the leadership of former Governor Samuel Ortom, had previously enacted the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law to regulate grazing activities.

Its purported abandonment may have contributed to the resurgence of violence.

The federal government had launched investigations and deployed security personnel to the affected regions, with President Bola Tinubu pledging to tackle the underlying causes of the conflict and ensure the safety of vulnerable communities.