Regional Humanitarian Fund for West and Central Africa Annual Report 2023

Humanitarian Context and Allocations

The Sahel region, with a population of 109 million, faced significant humanitarian challenges in 2023. Around 34.5 million people, including 45 per cent women, 57 per cent children, and 12 per cent persons with disabilities, required assistance and protection.

The region’s susceptibility to crises stems from extreme weather patterns, frequent droughts, floods, and land degradation, which threaten livelihoods. Additionally, increased armed conflict and violence have uprooted communities, hindering social cohesion.1 In 2023 Cadre Harmonisé results showed acute malnutrition exceeding the alert threshold (global acute malnutrition GAM >10 per cent) in several locations across Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal. About 2.6 million were estimated to be facing a food security classification of Emergency (Phase 4) in Burkina Faso and Niger, with over 45,000 people in Burkina Faso and Mali under Disaster (Phase 5).

Responding to these interconnected humanitarian needs, the RHFWCA, the first-ever regionally hosted pooled fund, was established in June 2021. In 2023, three allocations in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger were activated to address the needs of crisis-affected populations impacted by food and nutrition insecurity, forced displacement due to armed violence and insecurity, and climate change.