The European Commission has announced a humanitarian aid package of €41 million for the Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region in 2025. This geographical area has been experiencing severe natural hazards and conflict recently. 

Mozambique will receive €17 million. Part of the funding will support the country's efforts to respond to the consequences of tropical cyclones Chido, Dikeledi and Jude, which struck the country in December 2024, January and March 2025. In addition to this emergency funding, the EU has also transported 60 tonnes of assistance (shelter, household items, water and sanitation supplies) from the EU's warehouse in Nairobi to Mozambique.

A further €7 million will be provided to Madagascar, to facilitate access to food, emergency education, and nutritional services amongst others. €16 million will be used for regional and multi-country programmes, to help children remain in school, strengthen protection from gender-based violence, and boost the response to epidemics.

The EU will also provide €1 million to support the response to the ongoing cholera outbreak in Angola.

Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality, Hadja Lahbib, stressed: "In the Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region, climate shocks and natural hazards – tropical cyclones, droughts, and unpredictable rainfall – are claiming lives, destroying livelihoods, leaving families homeless, and leading to escalating food insecurity. This is in addition to the suffering caused by armed conflict. Only in Mozambique, some 1.3 million have been forced to flee their homes since the conflict in Cabo Delgado broke out in 2017 and 4.9 million are food insecure. The funding announced today will provide life-saving aid to households and strengthen disaster preparedness in the region. ” 

Background

The Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region, composed of 14 countries, is highly vulnerable to natural hazards, disease outbreaks, and human-induced disasters resulting from armed conflict and violence.

In 2024, for example, a prolonged El Niño-induced drought severely affected agricultural production in a region where 70% of the population depends on farming for their livelihoods. Over 30 million people across the 14 countries are facing acute food insecurity, with six countries—Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—having declared a state of emergency. Cholera outbreaks have further compounded the situation in several countries.

Mozambique, already prone to natural disasters, has experienced an especially harsh cyclone season, with three tropical cyclones striking the northern region since December 2024 and affecting over 1.4 million people. Madagascar continues to face a complex mix of acute and chronic humanitarian needs. The country is grappling with high rates of malnutrition, mortality, and disease, in addition to enduring poverty, persistent food insecurity, and economic stagnation.

In response, EU humanitarian aid will not only focus on disaster preparedness but also support partners on the ground in delivering life-saving assistance, including food, protection, water, shelter, and sanitation, to communities affected by natural hazards and human-induced crises.

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