Burkina Faso: Sahel Dashboard – Humanitarian Overview (As of 29 April 2026)

Countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Please refer to the attached Infographic. The Sahel remains the epicenter of a growing crisis, where violence, conflict, climate shocks and political instability combine, leaving millions trapped in vulnerability. The crisis has internally displaced 5. 8 million people, while 2. 6 million have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. Nigeria and Burkina Faso are the worst affected countries, hosting over 70 per cent of internally displaced persons (IDPs), while Chad has received over 58 per cent of refugees, primarily from Sudan. Some 24. 4 million people across the region require humanitarian aid in 2026, a 22 per cent decrease from the 31. 3 million people who needed assistance in 2025. However, this decrease does not indicate an improvement in the situation. It is rather the result of a new targeting methodology based on accessible zones. Of these, 8. 2 million people have been prioritised to receive assistance in 2026, including 2. 5 million in Nigeria, 1. 7 million in Chad, 1. 5 million in Mali, and 1. 2 million in Burkina Faso, with Cameroon and Niger following behind. Food insecurity continues to deteriorate, with projections indicating that 15. 4 million people will be in IPC Phase 3 or above, or crisis and worse, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) between June and August 2026 — a 38 per cent increase compared to the previous projection period in December 2025. During the review period, measles outbreaks were recorded in Nigeria (with 3, 688 cases) and Burkina Faso (with 2, 562 cases). This highlights the need to strengthen health systems and improve vaccination. Despite the scale of the crisis, humanitarian operations remain critically underfunded. As of April 2026, only 19 per cent of the required US$ 3. 7 billion had been received. The operational environment is becoming increasingly volatile: an aid worker was kidnapped in Nigeria, and several security incidents have restricted humanitarian access across the region.

Read full story on Reliefweb