The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, urged immediate global action to address the deepening displacement crisis in Africa’s Sahel.
Around four million people are now uprooted across Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and neighboring countries, nearly two-thirds more than five years ago.
“The region cannot face these challenges alone,” said Abdouraouf Gnon-Konde, UNHCR’s regional director, warning insecurity, food shortages, and climate shocks are forcing mass displacement.
Women and children constitute 80% of the displaced, with gender-based violence and forced recruitment escalating amid the ongoing turmoil, he added.
More than 14,800 schools and 900 health facilities have closed, leaving millions without access to education, medical care, or basic services.
Despite local solidarity, aid efforts are stretched thin, with only 32% of UNHCR’s $409.7 million appeal currently funded, Gnon-Konde noted.
He called for “unified, sustained international action and true solidarity with the Sahel” to protect vulnerable populations and restore hope across the region.
The Sahel crisis reflects a complex interplay of conflict, hunger, and climate shocks, demanding immediate, coordinated global responses, the agency emphasized.
UNHCR warned that without substantial support, displacement will surge further, intensifying human suffering and undermining regional stability for years to come.