By Woke Joshua
The European Union (EU) has approved €225,000, about N340 million, in humanitarian assistance for people displaced by conflict in Kebbi State.
The funding, announced by the EU on Wednesday, will support a six-month emergency response by the Nigerian Red Cross to assist communities affected by recent violence and displacement.
Under the intervention, affected households will receive multipurpose cash assistance to help them address immediate needs, while vulnerable persons will also have access to protection services.
The EU said the programme would further support the monitoring of population movements and the mobilisation of local volunteers, while contributing to conditions for longer-term recovery efforts by other humanitarian organisations.
About 7,700 conflict-displaced persons residing in settlements and host communities across Kebbi State are expected to benefit from the intervention.
It said particular attention would be given to female-headed households, persons with disabilities, older persons and individuals exposed to serious protection risks.
According to the EU, the funding is part of its contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) managed by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
The EU said security conditions in Kebbi State had worsened considerably following increased armed attacks and communal violence in seven Local Government Areas.
It added that displacement had continued since mid-August, with a major escalation in violence on August 31, 2026, prompting the humanitarian response.
The escalation affected more than 16,600 people across the state, including 7,706 displaced persons and 108 people who sustained injuries.
The EU said displaced families in temporary settlements and host communities were confronted with urgent needs for shelter, food, potable water, healthcare and protection amid insecurity involving organised banditry, armed groups and communal violence.
The assistance is being delivered under a €16 million humanitarian delegation agreement between the European Commission and the IFRC to support the Federation's DREF.
Established in 1979, the DREF provides rapid financial support to National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies responding to disasters and humanitarian emergencies.
The EU explained that the fund provides grants for small-scale disasters, with donor contributions subsequently used to replenish the facility.
The European Union and its Member States remain major humanitarian donors globally, providing assistance to populations affected by conflicts and disasters based on assessed humanitarian needs.