The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) issued an urgent appeal on Friday, calling for vital international assistance to bolster its operations across the Sahel region. This critical plea comes as nearly 4 million individuals are currently displaced within Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and surrounding nations. This staggering figure represents an increase of approximately two-thirds over the past five years, primarily driven by persistent insecurity, restricted access to essential services, and the escalating impacts of climate change.
“While the majority of those displaced in the region remain within their home countries, cross-border movements are becoming increasingly common, placing significant strain on host communities and national infrastructures,” stated Abdouraouf Gnon-Konde, Director of the UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa, during a press briefing.
These ongoing population movements are occurring amidst severe constraints on both humanitarian access and funding. The Sahel has witnessed a dramatic surge in humanitarian needs, yet resources have sharply declined since 2022.
budgetary shortfalls impede vital aid
The UNHCR is advocating for a renewed and strengthened global commitment to address the profound crisis gripping the central Sahel. Regional countries cannot confront these multifaceted challenges in isolation. This year, the agency has received less than one-third of its requested $409 million in funding.
Crucial activities such as registration, documentation, education, health services, and shelter provisions have been severely compromised. “Over 212,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger remain unregistered, which limits their access to essential services and heightens their vulnerability to arbitrary detention and harassment,” Mr. Gnon-Konde further elaborated.
These significant budget reductions coincide with the relentless violence perpetrated by jihadist groups. The pervasive insecurity throughout the region exposes populations to violence, forced recruitment, restrictions on movement, and arbitrary detention.
Women and children account for 80% of the forcibly displaced individuals in the area, and gender-based violence persists as a severe and widespread issue. “According to the inter-agency protection monitoring system in West and Central Africa, the number of people affected by such incidents has risen considerably this year.”
thousands of schools forced to close
Amidst this climate of instability, over 900 healthcare facilities have also been forced to close their doors, denying millions access to critical medical care. Across the entire region, more than 14,800 schools had ceased operations by mid-2025, depriving 3 million children of education and safe environments. This dire situation further exposes “forcibly displaced youth to forced recruitment and human trafficking.”
Moreover, food insecurity has emerged as an increasingly significant driver of displacement; the proportion of displaced individuals and host community members citing it as a cause for their movement has doubled in recent years.
The UNHCR indicates that climate-related shocks further exacerbate these risks, intensifying competition for scarce natural resources like land and water, and creating additional barriers to peaceful coexistence and social cohesion within host communities.
