Providing food and nutrition

The EU seeks to ensure that vulnerable people have access to safe and nutritious food during times of crisis. Food assistance is the single largest component of its humanitarian aid budget, providing help in more than 50 countries across the world.

The EU embraces an approach to delivering food aid which goes beyond the provision of basic food stuffs. Now the goal is to offer cash and food vouchers which allow people to buy supplies locally. This means people in need can make their own decisions in a dignified manner. Delivering support in this way bolsters food supply systems as the money goes to local markets and farmers.

The EU is committed to tackling malnutrition, which can be exacerbated when disaster strikes in already impoverished countries or regions. For example, over the past decade, assistance had been provided to the Sahel region in West Africa. In 2014 alone, 1.7 million people in a dire state of hunger received help, along with 580 000 severely malnourished children.