EU Pledges Nearly EUR710 Million in Aid for Displaced People in Africa and Beyond

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on 26 September nearly EUR710 million in EU support for displaced people in Sub-Saharan Africa and emergency assistance for crises worldwide, as the 81st UN General Assembly’s high-level week drew to a close in New York, according to the European Commission.

Funding Breakdown

Of the total, EUR380 million is earmarked for migration-related programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa, including EUR240 million for a migrant protection, return and reintegration programme and EUR140 million for migration management and protection efforts in countries including Mauritania and Kenya, the Commission said. A further EUR252 million in global humanitarian emergency funding, pending budgetary approval, would be split between Sub-Saharan Africa, Palestine and Lebanon, and Ukraine, covering needs from food insecurity and displacement to winterisation and shelter. Smaller allocations were also announced for peace efforts in the Great Lakes region, Ebola preparedness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and primary healthcare in Ethiopia.

A Broader Pattern of Support

“Conflicts, extreme weather and rising living costs are disrupting the lives of many around the globe,” von der Leyen said in announcing the package. “If we work together, we can make the world a better place.” The Commission said it has allocated more than EUR2.53 billion in humanitarian aid since the start of 2026, and framed the latest pledge as part of continued engagement with Global Citizen’s advocacy campaign at this year’s General Assembly. The announcement came during the same UN General Assembly high-level week in which several other governments and multilateral bodies unveiled their own aid and displacement-related commitments, reflecting the annual gathering’s role as a focal point for humanitarian pledging.

Why It Matters

The pledge comes as other major donors, including the United States, have scaled back humanitarian funding this year, leaving UN agencies warning of growing shortfalls, so the scale and destination of the EU’s commitments will help determine how much of that gap can be closed for some of the world’s most vulnerable displaced populations.