ABUJA – Escalating violence in Benue State has claimed 6,900 lives between 2024 and 2025, left over 400,000 people homeless, and displaced more than 1.5 million since 2018.
In response to the worsening humanitarian crisis, the European Union has announced a six-month intervention in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), aimed at supporting affected communities with essential services.
These include protection, shelter, access to clean water, sanitation, hygiene, and financial assistance.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Mrs Ugo Sokari-George of the EU Embassy’s Public Affairs Office described conditions in displacement camps as “extremely poor,” highlighting limited access to basic necessities and the heightened risks faced by women, children, and persons with disabilities.
The EU also disclosed that nearly 23,000 people were newly displaced in June 2025 alone, many of whom had already endured previous cycles of displacement.
Stressing that the assistance is guided solely by humanitarian need, the EU reaffirmed its commitment to supporting crisis-affected populations through the European Commission’s civil protection and humanitarian aid operations.
