« Across the Sahel, millions of vulnerable women, children and men face an immediate need for humanitarian assistance, » stated Charles Bernimolin, OCHA’s West and Central Africa regional chief.

The 2025 Sahel Humanitarian Needs Overview estimates $4.3 billion is required to address urgent needs for 18.4 million people in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad.

These humanitarian needs stem from a web of intertwined crises—intensified by instability, violent conflicts, rising insecurity and climate change impacts. Last year, over 16,800 people were killed in violent security incidents across the Sahel.

Regional spillover of a deepening crisis

The Sahel hosts 2.1 million refugees and asylum seekers and 5.9 million internally displaced persons—figures that have surged by 6% and 20% respectively since early 2024. Additionally, the crisis extends beyond borders: an estimated 159,000 refugees and asylum seekers reside in northern Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo, while over 169,000 refugees are registered in southeastern Mauritania.

Widespread violence has also led to the closure of 9,900 schools and 922 health centers, severely limiting access to essential education and healthcare services.

Between June and August 2025, 12.8 million people in the region will face food insecurity, and 2.6 million children will suffer from severe acute malnutrition, UN agencies warn.

Underfunded humanitarian response

As needs escalate, funding from international donors continues to decline. OCHA warns that without swift action, lives will be lost, vulnerabilities will worsen and crises will spread.

« The region requires adequately funded humanitarian action, » Bernimolin emphasized. « In a time of growing financial strain, we must remember this isn’t about balancing budgets—it’s about saving human lives. »

In 2024, humanitarian partners provided critical aid and protection to 12.4 million people. Yet millions more remain without assistance due to funding shortfalls. As of May 26, 2025, the $4.3 billion appeal was only 8% funded.