What the EU does
The European Union provides humanitarian assistance wherever it is needed most, responding quickly to both human-made disasters and natural hazards. At the focus of this effort is a strong commitment to protect the most vulnerable victims.
Based on international humanitarian principles and the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid, the EU’s support is guided by fairness and impartiality. Aid reaches affected communities without discrimination - regardless of their race, ethnic group, religion, gender, age, nationality or political affiliation. Together, the EU Member States and institutions are one of the leading donors of humanitarian aid, standing in solidarity with those in urgent need across the world.
Facts about EU humanitarian aid
Areas of action
Actions to protect children in armed conflicts
Making sure children can continue education and teachers have access to training
Reinforcing humanitarian or emergency responses in countries facing fragile contexts
Ensuring that most hungry and vulnerable people in crises have access to safe and nutritious food
Assisting forcibly displaced people
Humanitarian health assistance to the most vulnerable
EU actions to address child undernutrition
Ensuring the protection of communities, from delivering basic humanitarian assistance to deploying peacekeeping troops
Humanitarian shelter and settlements as an immediate response to, or in anticipation of, a disaster
Key achievements
- The European Commission has been providing humanitarian aid since 1992 in over 110 countries, reaching millions of people across the globe each year.
- With less than 1% of the EU budget – just around €3 per EU citizen each year – the EU brings life-saving support to millions of people worldwide. This contribution has a powerful impact, reaching those caught in some of the world’s most devastating crises.
- In recent years, EU humanitarian aid has been a crucial lifeline in conflicts in Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, Palestine, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, helping communities survive in the face of hardship.
- The EU humanitarian aid is also mobilised in cases of climate emergencies – for example, the drought in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, the floods in Bangladesh and El Niño effect in Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean.
- The EU’s humanitarian aid places a strong emphasis on protecting the most vulnerable, including children, women, people with disabilities, and other groups. A key part of this effort is supporting education in emergencies, so that children can continue learning even during conflict or displacement.
- The EU invests in preparedness initiatives to help communities better withstand future crises, including early warning systems and local disaster response training.
In focus
The international humanitarian system is under severe pressure, following the outbreak of conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan. This coupled with severe funding cuts mean re-prioritising how aid is delivered. To answer the challenges ahead, the European Commission has proposed adapting its way of working to maximise the effectiveness and impact of EU humanitarian aid around the world. The new approach will see the EU work more closely with partners to deliver humanitarian help safely, protect aid workers, make aid more efficient, team up with more organisations to help communities become more resilient, and reduce long-term dependence on aid.
This page was last updated on 27 May 2026