The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has announced a $4 million allocation to support Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, and neighboring countries affected by the spillover of terrorism. Dr. Sintiki Tarfa-Ugbe, Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs at the ECOWAS Commission, made the announcement during the opening of a two-day strategic engagement workshop in Abuja on Tuesday.
Tarfa-Ugbe highlighted the persistent challenges facing West African nations, including conflict, terrorism, climate change, and food insecurity. She reaffirmed ECOWAS’s commitment to helping member states strengthen their resilience and recovery efforts.
“Our countries continue to face numerous challenges such as conflict, terrorism, climate change, and food insecurity. However, the ECOWAS Commission remains dedicated to supporting our member states in bolstering their resilience and recovery from these adversities,” she said.
She added that ECOWAS has committed $2.6 million this year to assist vulnerable populations within the region, including displaced persons, refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants. Tarfa-Ugbe further noted that the Sahel region remains particularly vulnerable to terrorist attacks, resulting in numerous victims.
“As part of our humanitarian response to terrorism victims, we have allocated $4 million to support the frontline states of Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, as well as neighboring countries impacted by the spillover effects of terrorism, including Ghana, Benin, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire,” she said.
Tarfa-Ugbe also underscored ECOWAS’s robust humanitarian response mechanisms, which include rigorous monitoring and evaluation of its initiatives. She cited successful interventions in Togo, where ECOWAS collaborated with the Civil Protection Agency and the World Food Programme to boost agricultural productivity and provide cash assistance to small-scale businesses.
“We have witnessed the positive impact of our support in countries like Togo, Gambia, and Liberia,” Tarfa-Ugbe remarked. “Our assistance has enabled communities to recover and strengthen their livelihoods, which is crucial for building long-term resilience.”
She added that ECOWAS’s 2024 humanitarian efforts include $900,000 in aid for flood and food assistance in Gambia, along with ongoing support in Liberia aimed at improving food and nutrition security. “We have been to Gambia, where we provided food and nutrition support, as well as flood assistance totaling about $900,000. Our team witnessed people receiving cash assistance,” she said.