The heads of more than a dozen United Nations agencies and international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have issued a rare joint statement Friday calling for action to address the crisis gripping the Central Sahel as exacerbating humanitarian and protection needs are threatening to reverse development gains. In 2024, some 17 million people – one fifth of the population - in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.
In their statement, the world’s humanitarian leaders warn the crisis in the Central Sahel disproportionately affects women and girls, worsening gender inequalities in the region, and note that the levels of violence are alarming in some areas. At least 3 million people in the region are currently displaced by violence, mostly women and children.
In October and November 2023 alone, nearly 700 civilians were reportedly killed, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). Basic services are also impacted by the violence, with around 8,400 schools and 470 health facilities no longer functioning. These alarming trends are intensifying humanitarian needs and "preventing people from fully enjoying their human rights".
Friday’s statement was issued by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), the highest-level humanitarian coordination forum of the UN system, bringing together the executive heads of 20 UN and non-UN organizations.
Leaders in the group that issued the statement included the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the heads of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO), World Food Programme (WFP), International Organization for Migration (IOM), as well as CARE International, Mercy Corps and Save the Children US, representing the world’s humanitarian NGOs.
The Central Sahel region is facing one of the fastest-growing – and one of the most forgotten - humanitarian crises in the world. Armed conflict, deteriorating security, political instability, and widespread poverty are the main drivers of unprecedented humanitarian needs. Security incidents, attacks and kidnappings are a daily reality for millions of civilians and humanitarian workers in the field.
Over the past decade, the Central Sahel has experienced increasingly violent armed conflicts with the rapid emergence of extremist groups. The upsurge of non-state armed groups (NSAGs) has fueled intercommunal violence that has killed thousands. Intense and indiscriminate violence has forced millions to flee across the region, both within countries and across borders.
The security situation worsened in Burkina Faso following two military coups in 2022. This pattern is being replicated in Burkina Faso’s neighbors, Mali and Niger. Mali witnessed another military takeover of power in May 2021. In Niger, the presidential guard staged a coup in July 2023 and installed a general as ruler.
The people of Burkina Faso continue to experience a multidimensional humanitarian crisis, while more than 2 million people are displaced inside the country. A de facto blockade by armed groups of areas where more than 1 million people live or have sought refuge has deprived people of free movement and necessary supplies.
In Burkina Faso, insecurity and other challenges have increasingly forced aid agencies to rely on expensive air transport to deliver assistance, reducing overall humanitarian reach. Humanitarian agencies are working with the authorities to improve access, conscious of the need to respond as efficiently and effectively as possible to deliver critical assistance, including via overland transport.
In Mali, insecurity has continued in parts of the north, east and center, in some cases generating new displacement and new needs, as well as creating challenges for humanitarian operations. More than 40 percent of the population are projected to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2024. Aid agencies aim to stay and deliver assistance and protection to the most vulnerable men, women and children.
“But additional resources are urgently needed for critical support services – including logistics, security, mine action and medical evacuation capacity, as well as community engagement,” the statement said.
In Niger, humanitarian partners have for the past six months struggled to bring supplies into the country due to border closures following the military coup. The country continues to face a combination of crises: persistent armed conflicts, climate-induced disasters, nutritional emergencies and epidemics. In 2024, an estimated 4.3 million people, including 2.4 million children, will require humanitarian aid. The estimated number of food-insecure people during the lean season amounts to 3.3 million.
“Projections of humanitarian needs for the coming months are deeply concerning and could be exacerbated by poor harvests, insecurity, displacement, protection risks, the impact of sanctions, and the effects of suspensions in development aid,” the humanitarian leaders said
Despite risks and limited resources, national and international humanitarian organizations - working with local organizations - continue to deliver humanitarian assistance. As of the end of September, they had assisted roughly 6.3 million people across the Central Sahel in 2023.
But the humanitarian leaders warn that aid operations are facing crippling funding shortfalls. In 2023, humanitarian appeals for the three Central Sahel countries received only about one third of funds required – or about $781 million. In 2024, around $2.2 billion is required to help 10.4 million people across the region.
Aid agencies are also clear that while humanitarian assistance is urgently needed, it is not the solution to the cycles of hunger, displacement and disease that characterize the crisis in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
“Investments in resilience, sustainable development and social cohesion are critical to help communities keep moving forward and to prevent further increases in humanitarian needs,” the statement said.
Inclusive and effective participation channels were also needed to enable diverse voices of affected people to contribute to programs and decision-making that affect their lives and rights.
"These investments should be complemented by expanded partnerships with local communities and civil society, including women-led organization," the leaders said, and warned that steps that risk compounding civilian suffering - such as untargeted sanctions or suspensions of development aid - must be avoided.
“For years, the world has agreed that we must do more to help the people of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Now is the time to turn those words into action.”
Further information
Full text: Statement by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, One in five people in the Central Sahel needs humanitarian aid: Now is the time to turn words into action, Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), statement, published January 12, 2024
https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/about-inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-one-five-people-central-sahel-needs