UN calls for 'immediate international action' on Sahel crisis

The United Nations has called for immediate international action to prevent further forced displacement of civilians in Africa's troubled Sahel region, which is witnessing a worsening humanitarian crisis.

More than 3.3 million people have been forced to flee their homes in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger over the past four years due to conflict exacerbated by the climate crisis, said the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR on Friday.

"This staggering forced displacement of civilians demands immediate international action to prevent it from worsening," Alpha Seydi Ba, the UNHCR spokesperson for West and Central Africa, told a media briefing in Geneva.

"The security situation in the central Sahel is volatile, forcing people to flee their homes in search of safety and protection."

The region has been caught in a spiral of militant violence for years.

Since 2012, Mali has been ravaged by different groups affiliated to Al Qaeda and the Daesh group, as well as by self-declared self-defence forces and bandits.

Deepening crisis

Burkina Faso, one of the world's most volatile and impoverished countries, witnessed two military coups in 2022.

"The UN Refugee Agency is deeply concerned about the fast-growing humanitarian crisis in the Sahel region," said Ba.

He said women and children were particularly vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and trafficking.

Meanwhile, the lack of adequate shelter, clean water and sanitation was exacerbating the poor conditions faced by displaced people, while persistent insecurity prevented many from returning home.

Over the last four years, while 2.8 million people have been displaced from their homes in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger but remained within their own countries, a further 550,000 people have fled abroad.

"The increase in cross-border movement underscores the deepening of the crisis and the continued necessity to respond to needs in the Sahel by investing in protection, assistance and durable solutions," said Ba.

The UNHCR said it needs $443.5 million to cover urgent humanitarian needs in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Mauritania and the Gulf of Guinea countries.