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The European Union has approved €2.3 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Chad to strengthen the response to a growing cholera outbreak in West and Central Africa.
The EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS announced this in a statement by Mr. Modestus Chukwulaka, Press and Information Officer, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, on Monday.
The intervention comes amid rising cholera cases across the continent, with the World Health Organisation reporting more than 61,000 cases in the African Region during the first five months of 2026.
Nigeria is to receive €1.5 million, representing the largest portion of the emergency package.
According to the EU, the funding will be used to deploy additional response teams, provide cholera treatment kits and strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene measures.
It will also support the treatment of public water facilities and household water, improve disease surveillance in hard-to-reach locations, and enhance case management, risk communication and community awareness.
Cameroon will receive €100,000 to strengthen outbreak containment and treatment of affected persons. The support will cover additional humanitarian personnel, medicines, cholera treatment units and oral rehydration points in severely affected communities.
The Central African Republic is allocated €500,000 to expand cholera case management and vaccination, while also improving water, sanitation and hygiene services.
The funding will further support disease surveillance, case detection, community engagement and risk communication, as well as dignified and safe burial practices.
Chad will receive €200,000 to help interrupt transmission by improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services and strengthening community-based surveillance and case management.
Commenting on the intervention, EU Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said the latest support was aimed at helping humanitarian organisations respond rapidly to the outbreak and protect communities at greatest risk.
“Cholera is preventable and treatable. Yet it still threatens lives when people lack something as basic as safe water and healthcare,” Lahbib said.
She added that the EU would continue supporting emergency responses despite growing humanitarian needs and shrinking resources.
Cholera is caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacterium and is primarily spread through contaminated water or food. Severe infections can result in rapid dehydration and shock if treatment is delayed.
The EU said cholera remains uncommon in Europe and that the risk of transmission from imported cases is low.