The European Commission plans to offer $111 million in humanitarian aid to Africa's Lake Chad region this year.

"With the crisis in the Lake Chad region growing at an extremely alarming rate, the EU is stepping up its response," Christos Stylianides, commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, said in an annoucement. "Today I announced the EU's allocation of 105 million euro ($111 million) in humanitarian aid for the crisis. These funds will help meet the life-saving needs of the affected populations and scale up our response. The conditions for delivering assistance remain particularly difficult. It is essential to ensure quick and safe access to people who need lifesaving assistance."

The funding would help boost efforts to supply food, water, sanitation and basic human needs to the area.

The European Union has donated $187.1 million to the area since the beginning of 2016.

The conflict between security forces and Boko Haram is causing devastation in the Lake Chad area, affecting people in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. More than 2 million people have been displaced from their homes, according to the announcement. Malnutrition and food security issues are at dangerous levels.