As part of a massive $33 billion global humanitarian initiative for 2026, the United Nations and its partner organizations are requesting $5.1 billion to provide essential aid to 24 million of the most vulnerable individuals across West and Central Africa.
By the year 2026, projections suggest that more than 42 million people will require urgent assistance to survive and maintain their safety in nations including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, Niger, Nigéria, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Chad.
Charles Bernimolin, the Regional Head of OCHA for West and Central Africa, warned that without a swift injection of resources, families in these regions will suffer from increased famine, further displacement, and heightened protection risks.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that the region is grappling with an intensifying crisis. Ongoing conflicts, persistent violence, and ecological disasters are continuously uprooting families and stripping away their ability to meet basic survival needs.
Instability in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin
The lack of security in the Central Sahel—particularly within Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—is now spilling over into neighboring countries such as Bénin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Mauritania. Simultaneously, the volatility in the Lake Chad Basin and the war in Sudan are driving even higher numbers of people to seek safety elsewhere.
Currently, millions remain displaced throughout the area, including 12.7 million internally displaced persons and 3.7 million refugees and asylum seekers. The majority of these individuals are women and children who are often forced to flee multiple times, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and gender-based violence.
As conflict spreads, the climate crisis is making the situation even more precarious. In 2025, extreme rainfall and flooding affected more than 2 million people across 12 countries, wiping out crops, ruining homes, and blocking access to healthcare and education. The Democratic Republic of the Congo was especially devastated, with over 830,000 people impacted by these environmental shocks.
The critical consequences of funding shortages
OCHA points out that while donors were generous in 2025, humanitarian efforts in the region faced a massive financial deficit. Of the $7.8 billion required, only $1.8 billion was actually provided—representing a mere 24% of the necessary funds.
This lack of capital forced aid groups to drastically reduce their operations, making painful decisions about which communities and regions could receive support.
The impact of these budget cuts has been catastrophic. In the Central African Republic, for instance, the number of people receiving direct cash assistance dropped by 75%. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where conflict has sparked new waves of mass displacement, 85% of those identified as needing emergency shelter received no help at all.
Despite these severe limitations, humanitarian teams remain committed to addressing the most urgent needs in West and Central Africa.
By the conclusion of 2025, aid workers will have successfully delivered some form of assistance to 19 million people in the region. However, humanitarian agencies emphasized that millions of others were left behind solely due to the lack of adequate funding.
