Unhcr urges global action as Sahel displacement crisis deepens

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has issued an urgent appeal for global assistance to bolster its operations across the Sahel region. This critical plea comes as nearly four million individuals are currently uprooted from their homes in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and surrounding nations. This staggering figure represents an increase of approximately two-thirds compared to just five years ago, driven by persistent insecurity, restricted access to vital services, and the escalating impacts of climate change.

Abdouraouf Gnon-Konde, Director of the UNHCR Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa, highlighted that while the majority of those displaced remain within their home countries, cross-border movements are becoming increasingly common. This trend places immense strain on both host communities and national infrastructure across the Sahel.

These ongoing population displacements coincide with severe challenges to humanitarian access and critical funding. The Sahel region has witnessed a dramatic surge in humanitarian needs, yet available resources have significantly dwindled since 2022.

Critical Funding Shortfalls

The UNHCR is urging a renewed and strengthened international commitment to confront the escalating crisis in the central Sahel. Regional nations cannot shoulder these immense challenges alone. Alarmingly, the agency has secured less than one-third of its $409 million funding appeal for the current year.

Essential life-sustaining activities, including refugee registration, documentation, education, healthcare, and shelter provisions, have been severely impacted. Mr. Gnon-Konde further noted that “over 212,000 refugees and asylum-seekers across Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger remain unregistered, severely restricting their access to vital services and heightening their vulnerability to arbitrary detention and harassment.”

These significant budget reductions are occurring concurrently with persistent violence from jihadist groups. The pervasive insecurity throughout the region leaves populations exposed to ongoing violence, forced recruitment, severe restrictions on movement, and arbitrary detention.

Women and children constitute a staggering 80% of all forcibly displaced individuals in the Sahel, where gender-based violence remains a grave and widespread concern. Data from the inter-agency protection monitoring system in West and Central Africa indicates a significant increase in reported incidents affecting individuals this year.

Amidst this climate of pervasive insecurity, over 900 health facilities have also been forced to cease operations, denying millions access to critical medical care. By mid-2025, more than 14,800 schools across the region had shuttered, leaving three million children without access to education and safe learning environments. This dire situation further exposes “forcibly displaced young people to forced recruitment and human trafficking.”

Furthermore, food insecurity has emerged as an increasingly significant driver of displacement. The percentage of displaced individuals and host community members citing food scarcity as a reason for their movement has doubled in recent years.

The UNHCR emphasizes that climate-related shocks further exacerbate these risks, intensifying competition for dwindling natural resources like land and water. This creates additional barriers to peaceful coexistence and social cohesion between displaced populations and their host communities.