un urgent plea: un calls for $5.1 billion to avert deeper humanitarian crisis in west and central africa
As part of the global humanitarian appeal totaling $33 billion for 2026, the United Nations and its partners are urgently seeking $5.1 billion to provide vital assistance to 24 million of the most vulnerable individuals across West and Central Africa.
By 2026, an estimated 42 million people will require essential support for survival and safety in countries such as Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Chad.
“Without immediate and substantial resources, families in West and Central Africa face escalating hunger, further displacement, and heightened protection risks, leading to profound suffering,” warns Charles Bernimolin, Head of OCHA‘s Regional Office for West and Central Africa.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that the region is grappling with a deepening humanitarian crisis impacting millions. Ongoing violence, protracted conflicts, and devastating environmental disasters consistently force families from their homes and erode their ability to meet fundamental needs.
Escalating insecurity in the Central Sahel and Lake Chad Basin
Instability in the Central Sahel region – particularly affecting Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger – is now spilling over into neighboring Bénin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Mauritania. Concurrently, the volatile situation in the Lake Chad Basin and the conflict in Sudan are compelling even more individuals to seek refuge.
Consequently, millions remain displaced across the region, including 12.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 3.7 million refugees and asylum seekers. The majority of these are women and children, frequently forced to relocate multiple times and facing heightened risks, such as gender-based violence and exploitation, with documented instances of rape and survival sex.
As violence proliferates, climate change further exacerbates vulnerabilities. In 2025 alone, severe rainfall and widespread flooding impacted over 2 million people across 12 nations, annihilating crops, damaging homes, and disrupting access to vital schools and health centers. The Democratic Republic of Congo was especially hard-hit, with over 830,000 individuals affected.
The devastating impact of funding shortfalls
In the Central African Republic, the number of people receiving cash assistance plummeted by 75%
OCHA highlights that despite donor generosity in 2025, humanitarian operations across the region faced a severe funding gap: out of the $7.8 billion required, only $1.8 billion was secured, representing a mere 24%. These funding shortfalls compelled humanitarian agencies to scale back their response efforts, necessitating difficult decisions regarding intervention areas and the most vulnerable communities eligible for support.
Such drastic cuts have had devastating repercussions. In the Central African Republic, for instance, the number of individuals receiving cash assistance dropped by a staggering 75%, severely hindering their ability to address urgent needs. Similarly, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where conflict spurred fresh mass displacements, a critical 85% of those targeted for shelter support received no aid whatsoever.
Despite these significant reductions, humanitarian partners remain committed to addressing priority needs throughout West and Central Africa.
By the close of 2025, humanitarian workers will have provided at least one form of assistance to 19 million people in this region. However, “the persistent lack of funding prevented reaching several million more,” humanitarian agencies emphasized.
