EU Releases €2.3m Emergency Aid To Tackle Cholera Outbreak in Nigeria, 3 Others

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 the ongoing cholera outbreak in the four countries.

The Commission disclosed this in a statement on Monday, August 17, 2026, citing the World Health Organisation (WHO), which reported more than 61,000 cholera cases in 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 funds will support the deployment of additional intervention teams, provision of essential supplies including cholera kits, and water, sanitation and hygiene interventions. They will also be used to treat public and household water points and intensify epidemiological surveillance in inaccessible areas.

The funding will further support case management, risk communication and community sensitisation across affected areas.

Cameroon will receive €100,000 to support outbreak containment and case management, including additional staff for humanitarian partners, essential medicines, cholera treatment units and oral rehydration points in affected communities.

The Central African Republic will receive €500,000 to scale up case management and vaccination, alongside water, sanitation and hygiene interventions, risk communication, surveillance, case detection and dignified and safe burials.

Read Also: Cholera: NCDC says 2,102 suspected cases, 63 deaths recorded across 33 states

Chad will receive €200,000 to help break the chain of cholera transmission through improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as community support for surveillance and case management.

Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said the funding was aimed at helping affected countries respond quickly to the outbreak.

“Cholera is preventable and treatable. Yet it still threatens lives when people lack something as basic as safe water and healthcare,” she said.

“At a time when humanitarian needs are growing and resources are shrinking, Europe is not looking away. This emergency funding will help our partners act quickly, contain the outbreaks and protect the communities most at risk,” Lahbib added.

Cholera is caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria and is most commonly transmitted through the consumption of contaminated water. In severe cases, rapid loss of body fluids can cause dehydration and shock.

The European Commission said cholera is not common in Europe and the risk of transmission from imported cases remains low.