European Union support strengthens life-saving assistance and protection for forcibly displaced populations in West and Central Africa
European Union support strengthens life-saving assistance and protection for forcibly displaced populations in West and Central Africa
Mastoura Ali Moussa Mahabadene, 38, has gathered her few belongings and is waiting with her daughter, Moustaka, 5, to be relocated from the Tine transit center to the Touloum refugee camp. They fled the attacks on the city of El Fasher in Sudan and found refuge in Chad.
DAKAR, 6 May 2026 – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today announced it has received a €15.45 million contribution for a series of projects funded by the European Union (EU) through EU Humanitarian Aid. The projects will be implemented in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Nigeria, with the aim of improving safety, protection, and living conditions for hundreds of thousands of forcibly displaced people and the communities hosting them.
As conflict and insecurity continue to uproot more than 20.4 million people across West and Central Africa, EU Humanitarian funding will enable UNHCR and its partners to deliver life-saving assistance focused on the most urgent needs of vulnerable families, while strengthening humanitarian coordination and reinforcing local capacities in complex operating environments.
“With millions displaced across West and Central Africa, humanitarian needs are at a critical level. Through our partnership with UNHCR, the EU continues to deliver life-saving assistance and support the most vulnerable, while strengthening community-based recovery. In the face of such crises, international solidarity is more essential than ever,” said Thomas Dehermann-Roy, Head of the EU humanitarian aid office for West and Central Africa.
In Burkina Faso, EU Humanitarian Aid funding will allow UNHCR to scale up humanitarian assistance in several regions facing humanitarian challenges and internal displacement dynamics. The project will provide direct support to more than 29,400 people, primarily internally displaced persons, as well as vulnerable members of host communities. Tens of thousands of families will be able to access emergency shelter and essential household items, while special attention will be given to women, children and persons with disabilities. The project will also reinforce community-based mechanisms and local coordination, improving the effectiveness of UNHCR’s response in hard-to-reach areas.
In Chad, which hosts more than 1.5 million refugees, the partnership between EU Humanitarian Aid and UNHCR aims to respond to humanitarian needs of exceptional scale, mostly in the eastern part of the country. The project will improve access to safe drinking water, dignified shelter and essential protection services for hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees, while also supporting host communities under sustained pressure from continuous arrivals. It will further strengthen humanitarian coordination - including through a partnership with IOM - and local capacities to respond effectively to ongoing displacement.
In Mali, the project targets Burkinabe refugees and host communities in the Koro area (in the Bandiagara region), where i humanitarian needs remain acute. With the EU Humanitarian Aid support, 11,250 refugees will receive shelter assistance and essential household items to live in dignity. 12,250 people will gain improved access to safe drinking water through solar-powered systems, while 1,950 family latrines will be constructed to improve hygiene and reduce health risks. The project will also install 400 solar streetlights to enhance safety in residential areas and establish three community spaces to strengthen local organizations and social cohesion. Humanitarian coordination will be reinforced through the online platform Djiguiya, in close collaboration with local authorities and partners.
In Mauritania, EU Humanitarian Aid funding will ensure Malian refugees living in Hodh Chargui benefit from access to protection services and assistance, particularly children at risk and survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). The project focuses on registration, protection monitoring, GBV prevention and response, child protection and legal assistance.
In Nigeria, where over 3.5 million people are affected by rising insecurity and displacement, the partnership between EU Humanitarian Aid and UNHCR will strengthen protection in the North-East and North-West by working closely with authorities and communities to identify those most at risk and connect them to life-saving support. This includes assistance for survivors of violence - including unaccompanied children - to reduce exposure to exploitation and abuse and enable access to civil documentation. It will also include advocacy on protection issues and support the establishment of community-based protection structures to enhance resilience at local level.
“We are grateful for the European Union’s continued support, which enables UNHCR to respond to the most critical needs of forcibly displaced people and host communities across the region,” said Abdouraouf Gnon-Kondé, Director of UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa. “This support is essential to improving safety, dignity and living conditions for the most vulnerable families affected by displacement.”
For more information, please contact:
- In Dakar (regional), Fidelia Bohissou, [email protected], +221 77 569 91 60
- In Burkina Faso, Laurence Bron, [email protected], + 226 44 20 69 64
- In Chad, Helene Caux, [email protected], + 235 85 15 81 34
- In Mali, Mahamadou Diallo, [email protected], +223 79 34 00 41
- In Mauritania, Charline Blin, [email protected], +222 28 88 21 05
- In Nigeria, Rachel Manning, [email protected], +234 911 888 7002
