UN: 24 Million People in Sahel Region in Need of Humanitarian Aid
The United Nations (UN) has revealed that approximately 24 million people in the Sahel region of Africa are in need of humanitarian aid due to worsening armed conflict, the climate crisis, and increasing waves of displacement.
UN Secretary-General Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated during a daily press conference on Wednesday that the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Overview indicates an increasingly alarming humanitarian situation in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, northern Cameroon, and north-eastern Nigeria.
“Violence continues to spread across the region, with armed groups strengthening their presence in the Central Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin,” said Dujarric. According to him, rising insecurity has triggered mass displacement and forced the closure of schools and healthcare facilities in several affected areas.
The UN also highlighted the impact of climate change, which is exacerbating the crisis in the region. Dujarric noted that the Sahel region is experiencing temperature increases faster than the global average. Throughout 2025, approximately 590,000 people have been affected by flooding. Meanwhile, recurring droughts and land degradation continue to threaten the agricultural sector and the livelihoods of millions of residents.
To respond to the situation, the UN, along with its humanitarian partners, is expanding cash assistance programmes, strengthening anticipatory measures, and increasing support for local organisations. According to Dujarric, these steps are necessary to ensure that affected communities can cope with the growing needs amidst a crisis that shows no signs of abating.
For many, the name Sahel may still sound unfamiliar. However, this region is one of the most vulnerable in the world to humanitarian crises. The Sahel is a vast area stretching south of the Sahara Desert, from Senegal in West Africa to Sudan in East Africa. This region serves as a transition zone between the arid desert and the greener, more densely populated sub-Saharan African regions.