$26 million was spent on humanitarian activities in just two years, according to ECOWAS

In order to manage catastrophic circumstances, the West African Regional Bloc, or ECOWAS, claims it is placing a strong emphasis on crisis management and prevention.

According to information released by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), more than $26 million was spent on humanitarian efforts in West Africa between 2023 and 2024.

The regional organization added that it also provided $100,000 annually to each sport federation in the area.

ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Professor Fatou Sow Sarr, stated at a press conference on Friday in Abuja that the regional organization provides $50,000 to startups in scientific innovation and $5,000 to youth innovation.

According to Sarr, thirty young people from the area received instruction in master’s and doctoral programs for a total of $700,000.

She also disclosed that the regional body’s humanitarian gesture did not exclude sanctioned nations. She emphasized that the humanitarian sector for displaced people, migration, floods, and other disasters receives substantial funding from ECOWAS:

In January 2024, “Guinea under sanctions received nearly 600,000 dollars, namely: 100,000 dollars for the oil depot fire and 499,390 dollars for the floods,” the spokesperson stated.

“In 2023 for floods and nutrition out of a total of 8.5 million people affected, ECOWAS provided support to half of the victims, or 4 million people, for an amount of $12.6 million,” Sarr stated on the displaced people within the region.

“For internally displaced individuals, refugees, and asylum seekers, as well as for the communities who welcome them (i.e., all 15 nations), ECOWAS has released nine million dollars in 2024.

“For stabilization in Nigeria (terrorist victims, displaced people, injured people, rehabilitation, and enhancing community resilience), ECOWAS has allotted $1 million.”

Additionally, the commissioner disclosed that “ECOWAS has set aside four million dollars for humanitarian actions out of a fund of twenty-five million dollars intended for the fight against terrorism (Nigeria, Burkina, Mali, and Niger).”

“We have a disaster reduction strategy and tools such as the observation, monitoring and alert center which allows ECOWAS to monitor displaced populations and floods, to anticipate problems,” she said, going on to explain that ECOWAS places a greater emphasis on prevention. and handle crisis circumstances more skillfully.

Regarding the youth integration initiatives in the area, she stated that the commission’s involvement was focused on volunteer programs, sports, and economic integration.

She claims, “ECOWAS has placed 217 volunteers in the following countries since 2014: Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Liberia, and Benin.

“ECOWAS seeks to instill a volunteer spirit in youth in order to provide them with opportunities for professional growth, to strengthen their civic engagement, and to cultivate a sense of responsibility for community service.”

She added that ECOWAS provided $100,000 annually to the sports federations in each of its member states.

The union of deaf sports associations and university sport development organizations were among the numerous athletic endeavors and union-sponsored organizations that Sarr mentioned. ECOWAS bicycle trips from Lagos to Accra in 2010 and Lagos to Abidjan in 2012.

“In 2009 and 2011, the Ecowas Game Event was organized, encompassing approximately five to six sports disciplines,” she continued.

She added that ECOWAS backed the business incubation and mentoring program for kids as well as the entrepreneurship project.