The European Union has announced €710 million in funding for people affected by conflict, natural disasters and economic hardship, with €380 million in additional migration-related financing for sub-Saharan Africa in 2026.
Ursula von der Leyen announced the package on Saturday in New York, as the 81st UN General Assembly High-Level Week drew to a close. The announcement formed part of international advocacy organisation Global Citizen's 2026 campaign efforts.
The overall funding is intended to support people hit by crises and displacement around the world. “Conflicts, extreme weather and rising living costs are disrupting the lives of many around the globe,” von der Leyen said.
She said the EU would direct support towards displaced people in Africa and the communities receiving them. “With today's package, we will support displaced communities across Africa – as well as the communities welcoming them,” she said.
Von der Leyen also said the package would increase emergency support for people affected by conflicts beyond Africa. “We are also boosting emergency aid for those affected by wars in the Middle East and Ukraine,” she said.
The €380 million allocation for sub-Saharan Africa is focused on protecting vulnerable migrants, supporting voluntary return and reintegration, improving migration governance and responding to forced displacement.
Of that financing, €240 million has been allocated to the Migrant Protection, Return, and Reintegration programme for Sub-Saharan Africa. A further €140 million is intended for migration management, protection and durable solutions for displaced populations and host communities in Eastern Mauritania.
The €140 million allocation will also fund services for refugees and host communities in Kenya, where it is intended to address the protracted refugee crisis.
Separately, a €10 million Crisis Response measure will support continuing work to promote peace and stability in the Great Lakes region. The package also includes €7.5 million for the Democratic Republic of Congo, aimed at responding to the Ebola crisis and building preparedness, response and health-surveillance capacity.
The Commission did not set out a timetable for disbursing the funding or provide a detailed distribution of the rest of the €710 million package. It also did not give targets for assessing the programmes or identify the particular conflicts and natural disasters behind the wider emergency allocation.
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