The European Commission has allocated €2.3 million in emergency humanitarian funding to Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Chad to support efforts to contain ongoing cholera outbreaks across the region.
The funding was announced on Monday as health authorities and humanitarian partners respond to a rise in cholera cases. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 61,000 cholera cases were reported across the African region in the first five months of 2026.
Nigeria will receive the largest share of the funding, with €1.5 million earmarked to strengthen the country’s response to the outbreak.
The European Commission said the Nigerian allocation will be used to increase the number of intervention teams and provide essential supplies, including cholera kits.
The funding will also support water, sanitation and hygiene measures, including the treatment of public water points and household water, as part of efforts to reduce further transmission.
The EU said part of the Nigerian intervention will focus on strengthening epidemiological surveillance in areas that are difficult to access, as well as improving case management, risk communication and community sensitisation.
In Cameroon, €100,000 will support outbreak containment and case management, including additional humanitarian personnel, essential medicines, cholera treatment units and oral rehydration points in affected communities.
The Central African Republic will receive €500,000 to expand case management and vaccination, alongside water, sanitation and hygiene measures. The funding will also strengthen surveillance, case detection, community engagement and safe and dignified burials.
Chad will receive €200,000 to help interrupt cholera transmission through improved access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, while supporting community surveillance and case management.
EU Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said cholera remains preventable and treatable but continues to threaten lives where communities lack access to safe water and healthcare.
She said the emergency funding would enable humanitarian partners to respond quickly, contain outbreaks and protect communities at greatest risk.
The European Commission’s latest intervention therefore places significant emphasis on both treating people already affected by cholera and addressing the conditions that allow the disease to spread, particularly unsafe water and inadequate sanitation.
For Nigeria, the €1.5 million allocation will support the immediate expansion of response capacity while strengthening surveillance and community-level measures aimed at preventing further transmission.
