Since August 2020, UNICEF and WFP have been supporting the governments of Mali, Mauritania and Niger (and of Burkina Faso and Chad since 2024) in their social protection response to multiple shocks, through the joint project: Responding to COVID-19 through Social Protection Systems in the Sahel: Responding to the socioeconomic impacts of multiple shocks' (2020-26). A second phase of the project, 'Supporting Social Protection Systems in the Sahel' (2025-28) builds on existing gains and focuses on supporting the set-up of, and bridging the gap towards, national social safety net programmes that can reach scale.