The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has expressed alarm as the number of displaced people in the central Sahel region has reached nearly four million. This number is more than double that of six years ago. The UNHCR reported that the region is facing instability and violence, which has led to a significant increase in displaced persons. The agency attributed the crisis to continued attacks affecting civilians, climate-related shocks, and severe humanitarian funding shortfalls.
The UNHCR stated that the number of displaced people in the central Sahel region includes 818,000 refugees and asylum seekers. In 2020, the region had counted more than 1.7 million internally displaced people and 365,000 refugees. The agency's regional director for west and central Africa, Abdouraouf Gnon-Konde, said that the crisis is being compounded by various pressures, forcing more families to flee and eroding livelihoods.
Gnon-Konde added that the instability is ramping up pressure on the asylum system as affected countries struggle with weak public services. He also expressed concern that international attention is receding, which could exacerbate the situation. The UNHCR faces a severe funding shortfall, having received only 27 percent of the necessary funding to cover its work in the Sahel as of September.
The crisis is not limited to the central Sahel region, as hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced to coastal west Africa, including Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo. In Mali, most refugees come from neighboring Burkina Faso. The UNHCR reported that Koro, in the central Bandiagara region of Mali, hosted around 86,000 Burkinabe refugees, including over 14,000 children, in July.
The influx of refugees has put pressure on already limited land and water resources and overwhelmed health services in the region. The UNHCR warned that the crisis is increasingly spreading beyond the central Sahel, with significant implications for the region and beyond. The agency is working to address the crisis, but its efforts are hindered by a severe funding shortfall.
The UNHCR's Gnon-Konde visited the region and highlighted the need for sustained international attention and support to address the crisis. He emphasized that the situation requires a comprehensive approach to address the root causes of displacement and ensure the protection and well-being of displaced persons.
The situation in the central Sahel region remains dire, with nearly four million displaced people in need of assistance. The UNHCR continues to work with affected countries and partners to address the crisis, but a significant increase in funding is needed to support its efforts. The agency's work is crucial in providing protection and assistance to displaced persons and supporting host communities.
Key points
- The number of displaced people in the central Sahel region has reached nearly four million, a number more than double that of six years ago.
- The crisis is being driven by continued attacks affecting civilians, climate-related shocks, and severe humanitarian funding shortfalls.
- The UNHCR faces a severe funding shortfall, having received only 27 percent of the necessary funding to cover its work in the Sahel as of September.
