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 epidemic.
The funding comes as cholera continues to affect communities across the African Region, with the World Health Organisation reporting more than 61,000 cases in the first five months of 2026.
Nigeria will receive the largest share, with €1.5 million allocated to strengthen the country’s response to the outbreak.
The funding will support the deployment of additional intervention teams, the provision of essential supplies including cholera kits, and water, sanitation and hygiene interventions.
It will also support the treatment of public water points and household water, as well as intensified epidemiological surveillance in hard-to-reach areas.
The European Union said the funding would further strengthen case management, risk communication and community sensitisation in Nigeria.
Cameroon will receive €100,000 to support outbreak containment and case management.
The funding will provide additional staff for humanitarian partners, essential medicines, cholera treatment units and oral rehydration points in villages most affected by the outbreak.
The Central African Republic will receive €500,000 to scale up case management and vaccination, alongside water, sanitation and hygiene interventions.
The funding will also strengthen risk communication and community engagement, surveillance and case detection, while supporting dignified and safe burials.
Chad will receive €200,000 to help break the chain of cholera transmission through improved access to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.
The funding will also support community-based surveillance and case management.
The European Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said cholera remained preventable and treatable but continued to threaten lives where access to safe water and healthcare was limited.
“Cholera is preventable and treatable. Yet it still threatens lives when people lack something as basic as safe water and healthcare,” Lahbib said.
She added that the emergency funding would enable humanitarian partners to respond quickly, contain outbreaks and protect communities most at risk.
Cholera is caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria and is most commonly transmitted through consumption of contaminated food or water.
In severe cases, the infection can cause rapid loss of body fluids, leading to dehydration and potentially fatal shock if untreated.
The European Commission said the latest intervention forms part of efforts to support countries facing the continuing humanitarian impact of cholera outbreaks across West and Central Africa.