The European Union on July 24, 2025, announced a €1.5 million humanitarian aid package to assist internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Benue State, including victims of the recent Yelewata community attack.
The funds, channeled through the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), will provide food, shelter, and medical care to over 10,000 IDPs displaced by ongoing farmer-herder conflicts and banditry. The donation follows a June 2025 assault in Yelewata that killed 15 and displaced 2,000.
EU Ambassador Samuela Isopi emphasized the need for long-term solutions, urging the Nigerian government to address root causes like poverty and insecurity. Local authorities welcomed the aid, but some IDP leaders expressed skepticism, noting past donations often reached only a fraction of beneficiaries due to logistical issues.
The narrative of international support is positive, yet it underscores the government’s struggle to manage a crisis affecting 3.1 million IDPs nationwide, with questions about aid distribution efficiency lingering.