The United Nations and its partners are urgently seeking $5.1 billion to support 24 million vulnerable individuals across West and Central Africa in 2026, as part of a broader $33 billion global humanitarian appeal.
By 2026, over 42 million people in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Chad will require urgent assistance to survive and remain safe.
« Without immediate resources, families in West and Central Africa will face worsening hunger, displacement, and protection risks, » warns Charles Bernimolin, Head of OCHA’s Regional Office for West and Central Africa.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlights that the region is grappling with a deepening humanitarian crisis affecting millions. Persistent violence, ongoing conflicts, and environmental disasters continue to uproot families, undermining their ability to meet basic needs.
The escalating Sahel security crisis
The security turmoil in the Central Sahel—particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—is spilling into neighboring Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Mauritania. Meanwhile, instability in the Lake Chad Basin and the conflict in Sudan are driving further displacement.
Currently, 16.4 million people are displaced across the region, including 12.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 3.7 million refugees and asylum seekers. Women and children constitute the majority, often forced to flee multiple times and facing heightened risks such as gender-based violence and exploitation, with reports of rape and survival sex.
As violence spreads, climate change further exacerbates vulnerability. In 2025, severe flooding affected over 2 million people across 12 countries, destroying crops, damaging homes, and disrupting access to schools and healthcare. The Democratic Republic of the Congo was particularly hard-hit, with more than 830,000 people affected.
The devastating impact of funding cuts
Despite generous donor support in 2025, humanitarian operations in the region faced severe funding shortfalls: only $1.8 billion was received out of the $7.8 billion requested—a mere 24%. These shortfalls have forced aid organizations to scale back responses and make difficult decisions about where to intervene and which vulnerable communities to prioritize.
The consequences have been dire. In the Central African Republic, for example, the number of people receiving cash assistance dropped by 75%, severely limiting their ability to address urgent needs. In the DRC, where conflict has triggered new mass displacements, 85% of those targeted for shelter aid received no support.
Despite these constraints, humanitarian partners continue to provide critical assistance across West and Central Africa. By the end of 2025, aid workers had reached at least one form of support to 19 million people in the region. « However, the lack of funding has left millions more without aid, » emphasized humanitarian agencies.
