The European Union has announced a humanitarian aid package of more than 710 million euros ($810 million) to assist people affected by conflict, natural disasters, food insecurity, and displacement around the world. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made the announcement on Saturday, saying: "Conflicts, extreme weather events and rising living costs are throwing the lives of many people around the world into disarray." The package was unveiled alongside the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The largest share of the funding — 380 million euros — is directed at sub-Saharan Africa, the vast region south of the Sahara Desert, with a focus on protecting vulnerable migrants and supporting voluntary return and reintegration programmes. An additional 97 million euros has been earmarked for humanitarian needs in the same region, addressing worsening conditions caused by conflict, malnutrition, food insecurity, and climate shocks. Within that allocation, 7.5 million euros is specifically designated for the response to an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries, while a further 10 million euros will support peace and stability efforts in the Great Lakes region — an area of central and eastern Africa beset by chronic armed conflict, displacement, and environmental pressures.
Beyond Africa, 103 million euros will go to the Palestinian territories and Lebanon to support vulnerable populations amid ongoing conflict, while Ukraine will receive 52 million euros for humanitarian assistance and emergency preparedness. In total, the emergency humanitarian component of the package amounts to 252 million euros spread across these three priority zones.
The European Commission also announced complementary investment measures under its Global Gateway initiative, including an EU-backed loan from the European Investment Bank to expand vaccine and biological medicines production in Colombia, and 60 million euros to strengthen primary healthcare in Ethiopia. These investments aim to mobilise private capital alongside the direct aid. Von der Leyen summarised the bloc's intentions plainly: "Europe supports you."
The scale of the package reflects growing pressure on international donors as simultaneous crises strain global humanitarian systems. With the Commission reporting it has already allocated 2.5 billion euros in humanitarian aid since the start of the year, the new tranche underscores the EU's position as one of the world's largest humanitarian contributors — even as its own member states grapple with migration pressures and the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine.