Sahel: One of the world's fastest-growing humanitarian crises

The Sahel is one of Africa’s largest semi-arid regions that includes the countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, and it is experiencing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian and protection crises. As of May 2024, almost a quarter of the Sahel's population of 94 million people require humanitarian assistance and protection, which is an increase of 10 million since 2020. The majority of those in need are women and children. The security situation is volatile, forcing people to flee their homes in search of safety.

Indiscriminate attacks by armed groups and militias, insecurity, widespread human rights violations, including gender-based violence and violence against children, and the effects of climate change have triggered massive displacements across the region. An estimated 3.7 million people have been internally displaced, and more than half a million refugees and asylum seekers have sought refuge in neighboring countries. The crisis is already affecting Mauritania and Chad, and risks spilling over to Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo.

Communities across the Sahel rely on farming and pastoralism, which are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In the past few years, changes to the ecosystem have fueled a food scarcity crisis and competition over resources, putting millions at risk of food insecurity. In short, the Sahel is one of the world’s fastest-growing humanitarian crises. 

So, what is being done, again it comes down to the efforts of the UN, and particularly the UNHCR. The UN Refugee Agency is working with the governments of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger to launch an intergovernmental platform, called Bamako Process, aimed at strengthening the security and protection of vulnerable populations across the region.  

Right now, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is scaling up efforts to meet the growing demands of vulnerable populations through the provision of emergency shelter, lifesaving healthcare and important educational services as well as psychological support to victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SVBG). 

What is going underreported is that the central Sahel is one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to the effects of climate change, with temperature increases that are 1.5 higher than the global average.  According to the International Rescue Committee climate shocks are becoming “increasingly common in the Central Sahel, where 78 percent of the labor force depends on agriculture and herding. Temperatures are projected to rise somewhere between 2- 4.3°C by 2080. Already, Niger loses 100,000 to 120,000 hectares of arable land to soil erosion and desertification each year”. On top of that only 49 percent of the population in the Sahel have access to electricity and only 12 percent have access to clean water. While 64% of the population are under the age of 25, making it one of the world’s most youthful regions. But what hope are we offering this next generation – again it is down to aid agencies to pick up the pieces.  

*Kieran Baker is an Emmy award winning journalist who has started up various networks including Al Jazeera English, Bloomberg TV Africa and TRT World.