European Commission, EIB and UNDP join forces to boost investment in communities hit by humanitarian crises

• New agreement will help communities hit by conflicts, humanitarian crises and disasters move from emergency relief to lasting recovery and boost investment opportunities in fragile countries.
• The European Commission is providing €15 million with EIB and UNDP to help turn local recovery plans into projects that restore services, support jobs and strengthen communities.
• The partnership, spanning four years, will support sustainable recovery and resilience in fragile countries, while preserving scarce humanitarian resources for urgent, life-saving aid.

At the 81^st United Nations General Assembly this week, the European Commission, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched a new partnership to help communities affected by conflict, crises and disasters rebuild and attract long-term investment.

The European Commission is providing an additional €15 million in humanitarian assistance to help prepare and implement EIB-backed projects and support EIB investment in fragile countries, over a period of four years.

In places affected by crises and fragility, investment projects often require additional analysis and implementation support to reach communities affected by humanitarian crises and respond to their specific needs. The partners will use their different strengths to tackle these obstacles and adapt projects to local needs.

The aim is to help communities move from emergency relief to resilience. This means channeling investments towards restoring basic services, creating jobs and supporting local businesses, while freeing up humanitarian funds for crises where urgent, life-saving assistance is needed most, is paramount.

"This partnership is about the delivery of humanitarian aid to communities affected by crises, helping them move from emergency relief to lasting recovery and boosting investment opportunities. The European Investment Bank's financing, combined with our partners capacities will help identify the right projects for the right countries," said EIB Group President Nadia Calviño.

A new EIB Fragility Helpdesk, supported with €3 million of the package, will help assess local conditions and risks and advise on how projects can be designed and implemented safely, adapted to local needs, and used to strengthen communities' ability to cope with future crises. The remaining €12 million will enable UNDP to prepare project documentation and support the delivery of selected EIB-financed operations on the ground, strengthening investments' ability to reach affected communities and respond to their specific recovery needs.

"Addressing fragility means working together between humanitarian, development and finance partners to invest in solutions that help people avoid facing the same emergencies year after year. This partnership will help put the EU's new Integrated Approach to Fragility into practice. It will also help humanitarian resources go further by supporting more sustainable investments and solutions to today's humanitarian needs," said Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management.

Projects could support farming, small and medium-sized businesses, energy, transport and other essential infrastructure required to transition from emergency aid to more sustainable solutions for people in need. They may also restore basic services and help people earn a living after a crisis.

"Recovery starts when investment begins," said Alexander De Croo, Administrator of the UN Development Programme. "By combining European Commission support, EIB finance and UNDP's presence on the ground, this partnership will turn local recovery plans into investable projects, helping communities move from relief to resilience and rebuild their own future. This is the shift we need to make: From grants to investment. From projects to pipelines. From responding to crisis to building resilience. And from waiting for recovery to begin - to investing in it from day one."

Background information   

EIB Group  

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion in new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects under eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investments union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructure, the EIB Group crowds in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe's markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations.

Photos of the EIB Group's representatives and headquarters, logo files and video B-roll for media use are available here.

UNDP

UNDP is the United Nations' lead agency on international development, working in 170 countries and territories to help people build better lives while protecting the planet. UNDP works with governments, communities and partners to reduce poverty and inequality, strengthen crisis resilience and advance sustainable development. In some of the world's most challenging settings, UNDP connects relief efforts with longer-term development and helps mobilize sustainable finance and investment to support recovery, resilience and lasting development solutions.