UNHCR Warns Nearly 4 Million Displaced Across Central Sahel

The number of people displaced across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger has nearly doubled since 2020, reaching almost four million as insecurity, climate shocks and funding shortages deepen the humanitarian crisis, the UN refugee agency has warned.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the displaced population includes more than 818,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, with continued attacks on civilians, erratic rainfall and flooding forcing families from their homes and undermining their livelihoods.

The region had more than 1.7 million internally displaced people and 365,000 refugees in October 2020, according to UNHCR.

The crisis is also placing growing pressure on host communities, particularly in Mali, where tens of thousands of refugees from neighbouring Burkina Faso have sought shelter.

In Koro, in Mali’s Bandiagara region, about 86,000 Burkinabè refugees had arrived by July 2026 following successive waves of displacement since the previous year. More than 14,000 children and 6,000 women have been identified as being at particular risk, according to UNHCR.

The refugee population is approaching the size of the local host community, intensifying competition for scarce land and water while adding pressure to already stretched health services and limited livelihood opportunities.

Climate-related shocks are compounding these challenges. Recurrent droughts, irregular rainfall and flooding have disrupted agricultural production, damaged homes and infrastructure, and reduced access to water. The effects are particularly severe for households dependent on farming and livestock.

UNHCR said agricultural cooperatives involving refugees and host-community members in Koro had expanded cultivated land from 21 hectares in 2025 to 45 hectares in 2026, helping improve food production and household incomes.

Similar initiatives in Kaya, Burkina Faso, are helping internally displaced people and host communities increase agricultural output, reduce post-harvest losses and generate income. However, the agency said such programmes remained small relative to the scale of displacement.

The crisis is also spreading beyond the Central Sahel. Almost 500,000 Burkinabè refugees and asylum-seekers had sought protection in neighbouring countries in 2026, up from more than 300,000 at the end of 2025. Many have moved to coastal West African countries, including Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo.

More than 334,000 Malians are refugees abroad, while over 106,000 Nigeriens are recorded as refugees and asylum-seekers in neighbouring countries, according to the agency.

Some displaced people continue towards North Africa and Europe when they cannot find safety or viable livelihoods closer to home. UNHCR said it was working with governments and partners to establish multi-purpose service hubs along key regional routes, offering information, counselling, referrals and essential assistance to refugees and migrants.

The humanitarian response is struggling to keep pace with rising needs. As of September 2026, UNHCR’s Sahel response was only 27 percent funded against a requirement of 329.6 million US dollars.

The funding gap is affecting registration and documentation, shelter, access to basic services and livelihood support. The agency warned that inadequate assistance and limited opportunities for self-reliance could make it harder for displaced people to rebuild their lives while leaving host communities with fewer resources to accommodate growing populations.

UNHCR called on governments, development partners, international financial institutions and private-sector organisations to increase investment in protection, essential services and livelihood programmes. It also urged sustained political engagement to address the insecurity driving displacement.

The agency said the response should align with its 50 by 35 vision, which aims to advance refugee self-reliance and lasting solutions for people living in protracted displacement by 2035.

Source: FSX Business News