Regional Humanitarian Pooled Fund for West and Central Africa - Annual Report 2024

Humanitarian Context and Allocations

In 2024, Central Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger) continued to be impacted by multidimensional and interconnected crises marked by persistent political and social instability, deteriorating security, and the inexorable creep of climate change, with nearly 17.7 million people needing humanitarian assistance and protection services.

People experienced food insecurity and concerning nutrition levels due to violence, climate shocks, and increasing prices of local and imported basic products. The livelihoods of affected people were threatened, while access to basic services was limited due to the scarcity of funding and increasing vulnerability to epidemics and shocks. Between 2019 and 2024, humanitarian requirements in the Central Sahel increased by 157 per cent from $894 million in 2019 to a high of $2.3 billion as of August 2024. The most significant increase during this period was in Burkina Faso, with a rise of 400 per cent, followed by Mali (+117 per cent) and Niger (+73 per cent).

In Burkina Faso, as of the first quarter 2024, over 2 million people were internally displaced with more than a quarter of the population requiring humanitarian assistance. The ongoing security crisis, marked by armed violence and military operations, was compounded by climate shocks, including drought and flooding. Insecurity restricted movement, making it challenging to access affected communities, particularly in hardto- reach areas where 1.1 million people endured severe conditions.

Mali also remained in a multifaceted crisis driven by persistent conflict, extreme heat, and floods. With over a third of the population needing humanitarian assistance, the decline in funding has limited humanitarian partners’ ability to respond. As of late 2024, the country’s Humanitarian Response Plan was only 35 per cent funded, limiting the support available to the most vulnerable, particularly those in hard-to-reach areas.

Niger faced a similarly complex situation, with extreme climate events, growing insecurity, and rapid population growth, which continue to exacerbate vulnerabilities. By September 2024, Niger had registered 507,000 internally displaced persons, a 12 per cent increase from the previous year. The Tillabéri and Diffa regions remained the hardest hit, with new displacement occurring in previously unaffected areas.

In 2024, four allocations through the RHPFWCA aimed at addressing the growing needs across the Central Sahel countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger). The RHPF-WCA allocations played a crucial role in enhancing the response capacity of frontline responders, including International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) and Local National Non-Governmental Organizations (LNNGOs) to address the most urgent and life-saving humanitarian needs of populations affected by the crisis. The response focused on providing multisectoral support in hard-to-reach and underserved areas along the borders, improving humanitarian access, fostering community acceptance, and promoting community engagement.