UN Launches $5.1 Billion Aid Appeal for West and Central Africa Amid Worsening Crises

Dakar, Senegal – The United Nations and its humanitarian partners today, December 8, 2025, launched a critical appeal for $5.1 billion to address the escalating humanitarian crisis across West and Central Africa. This funding is urgently needed to provide life-saving aid and protection to 24 million of the most vulnerable people in the region throughout 2026. The appeal highlights the severe impact of protracted violence, climate change, and other shocks that have left more than 42 million people in need of assistance across the region.

Escalating Humanitarian Needs Across the Region

West and Central Africa is grappling with some of the world's most complex and protracted humanitarian crises. The appeal targets eight countries with significant humanitarian response plans: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria. The humanitarian landscape is characterized by a confluence of factors, including armed violence, climate disasters, epidemics, and widespread crop failures.

The region has seen a dramatic increase in displacement, with nearly four million people across the Sahel alone uprooted from their homes. Women and children constitute 80 percent of the displaced population, facing heightened risks of gender-based violence, trafficking, and forced recruitment. Essential services have been severely disrupted, with over 14,800 schools closed, leaving three million children without access to education, and more than 900 health facilities shut down.

Burkina Faso: An Epicenter of Crisis

Burkina Faso stands as a stark example of the region's deepening crisis. The country is experiencing a rapidly escalating humanitarian emergency driven by widespread violence and the long-term effects of climate change. In 2024, approximately 6.3 million people, or 25 percent of the population, required humanitarian assistance. Key areas of concern include:

• Food security: 3.8 million people in need
• Protection: 3.7 million people in need
• Water, hygiene, and sanitation: 3.7 million people in need
• Healthcare: 3.5 million people in need

The security situation has deteriorated significantly, with over 10,000 civilians killed in security incidents since 2019, including 2,550 in 2024 alone. Furthermore, 40 localities, home to an estimated two million inhabitants, are currently under blockade, severely restricting the movement of people and goods.

Urgent Call for Global Solidarity

The appeal underscores the urgent need for increased international support. In 2025, humanitarian responses in West and Central Africa faced a severe funding shortfall, with only $1.8 billion received against a requirement of $7.8 billion, representing just 24 percent coverage. Charles Bernimolin, Head of OCHA's Regional Office for West and Central Africa (ROWCA), warned, 'Without urgent resources, families will increasingly face hunger, displacement and protection risks across West and Central Africa, leading to further suffering.' The UN and its partners emphasize that timely and decisive action, coupled with people-centered approaches and collaboration with local partners, is crucial to saving lives and alleviating suffering in the face of these complex and interconnected crises.