Sahel crisis: nearly 29 million people urgently require humanitarian assistance
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has issued a stark warning: nearly 29 million people across six Sahel countries are in urgent need of humanitarian aid and protection. Lives hang in the balance, OCHA emphasizes, if critical funding fails to materialize.
Regional vulnerabilities deepen as crises intensify
According to OCHA’s Western and Central Africa Regional Director Charles Bernimolin, the Humanitarian Needs Overview 2025 for the Sahel estimates that $4.3 billion is required to address the pressing needs of 18.4 million individuals across Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Chad.
These humanitarian needs stem from a web of interconnected crises—escalating insecurity, violent conflicts, political instability, and the worsening impacts of climate change. Last year alone, violent security incidents claimed over 16,800 lives across the region.
Cross-border displacement highlights regional strain
The Sahel crisis is no longer confined to its borders. The region now hosts 2.1 million refugees and asylum seekers, along with 5.9 million internally displaced persons (IDPs)—numbers that have surged by 6% and 20% respectively since early 2024.
Refugee flows have extended beyond the Sahel, with 159,000 refugees and asylum seekers now living in northern Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo. An additional 169,000 refugees have been registered in southeastern Mauritania. This widespread violence has also forced the closure of over 9,900 schools and 922 health centers, severely limiting access to essential education and healthcare.
Severe food insecurity and malnutrition loom over the Sahel
Between June and August 2025, 12.8 million people in the Sahel are expected to face acute food insecurity, while 2.6 million children are projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition, according to UN agencies.
Humanitarian response falls critically short
The crisis is exacerbated by a dangerous shortfall in funding. OCHA warns that without immediate international action, lives will be lost, vulnerabilities will deepen, and crises will spread. “The region requires a fully funded humanitarian response,” Bernimolin stressed. “In the face of a growing financial crisis, we must remember this isn’t about balancing budgets—it’s about saving human lives.”
In 2024, humanitarian partners provided vital aid and protection to 12.4 million people. Yet, millions more remain without assistance due to insufficient funding. As of May 26, 2025, the $4.3 billion appeal had only been 8% funded.