Sahel

The conflict in the Sahel is upending lives and livelihoods and forcing more people to flee in desperation. The climate emergency, declining agricultural production, inter-communal tensions and global economic headwinds that increase food and fuel prices are the major drivers of hunger in Central Sahel – including Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Niger. 

Escalating violence in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger has driven hundreds of thousands of refugees across the border, seeking safety in coastal countries. This makes West Africa one of the fastest-growing displacement crises in the world.  

In Burkina Faso, an estimated 1 million people remain trapped in besieged areas, cut off from aid, trade and markets, cell-phone connections and basic social services. Access to besieged areas is one of the greatest challenges humanitarian workers face.  

The  ongoing political crisis in Niger,  and subsequent economic sanctions and border closures, are driving up hunger and humanitarian needs – which had already hit unprecedented levels in recent years.  

All forcibly displaced people in Central Sahel need  urgent, life-saving assistance. Most of them are hosted by communities who are themselves often  deprived and extremely vulnerable. Food needs are inexorably on the rise, at a time when humanitarian access is becoming increasingly challenging.

The World Food Programme (WFP) couples  life-saving humanitarian response  with an integrated package of activities that shore up livelihoods, restore ecosystems, create jobs and build social cohesion.  The aim is to transform lives, end hunger, reduce unsafe migration, educate young people and stem conflict.  

WFP needs US$436.4 million from August 2024 to January 2025, to ensure that families can continue to access life-saving food assistance.