The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) issued an urgent plea on Friday for extensive international backing to bolster its operations across the Sahel region. Currently, nearly 4 million individuals are internally displaced or have crossed borders in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and surrounding nations. This staggering figure represents an increase of approximately two-thirds over the past five years, driven by pervasive insecurity, limited access to fundamental services, and the escalating impacts of climate change.
During a press briefing, Abdouraouf Gnon-Konde, Director of the UNHCR Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa, highlighted that while the majority of displaced individuals remain within their countries, cross-border movements are becoming more frequent. This trend places significant strain on host communities and existing national infrastructures.
These ongoing population movements coincide with severe challenges in humanitarian access and dwindling financial resources. The Sahel region has witnessed a dramatic surge in humanitarian needs, yet funding has seen a substantial decline since 2022.
Critical funding shortfalls impacting aid
The UNHCR is advocating for a renewed and strengthened international commitment to address the escalating crisis in the Central Sahel. The nations within the region are simply unable to manage these immense challenges independently. For the current year, the agency has secured less than one-third of its requested $409 million appeal.
Crucial activities, including registration, essential documentation, educational initiatives, healthcare services, and shelter provisions, have been severely hampered by these funding gaps. Mr. Gnon-Konde further noted, “More than 212,000 refugees and asylum seekers across Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger remain unregistered, which restricts their access to vital services and heightens their vulnerability to arbitrary detention and harassment.”
These budget reductions occur amidst persistent violence from jihadist groups. The widespread insecurity throughout the region exposes communities to brutal violence, forced recruitment, severe restrictions on movement, and arbitrary detention. A staggering 80% of forcibly displaced individuals in the region are women and children, making gender-based violence a pervasive and grave concern. According to the inter-agency protection monitoring system for West and Central Africa, incidents of such violence have significantly increased this year.
Thousands of schools forced to close
In this volatile environment, over 900 healthcare facilities have also been compelled to cease operations, depriving millions of people of essential medical care. Across the region, by mid-2025, more than 14,800 schools had closed their doors, denying 3 million children access to education and safe spaces. This precarious situation further exposes “displaced young people to forced recruitment and human trafficking.”
Furthermore, food insecurity has emerged as an increasingly significant catalyst for displacement. The proportion of displaced individuals and members of host communities citing it as a reason for their movement has doubled in recent years.
The UNHCR warns that climate-related shocks exacerbate these risks, intensifying competition for scarce natural resources like land and water. This creates additional obstacles to peaceful coexistence and social cohesion with host communities, deepening the humanitarian crisis in the Sahel.
