Humanitarian Action for Children 2025 - West and Central Africa

Appeal highlights

• In 2025, an estimated 46 million children in West and Central Africa will need humanitarian assistance as a result of protracted and acute conflicts, displacement, public health emergencies and natural disasters.
• UNICEF will support governments, public and private institutions and civil society partners to improve multisectoral emergency preparedness and response covering nutrition, health, water, sanitation and hygiene, child protection, education and social protection.
• In this regional appeal, UNICEF is requesting US$56.1 million to reach 6.8 million children in 10 countries: the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Eight additional countries facing emergencies are presenting standalone appeals. Five countries affected by the central Sahel crisis spillover (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mauritania and Togo) are presented within a separate multi-country appeal.
• This regional appeal also includes UNICEF regional office support to all 24 countries in the region for multisectoral emergency preparedness and response.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

Across West and Central Africa, 46 million children require humanitarian assistance as a result of conflict, natural disasters and public health emergencies. These hazards, sometimes occurring simultaneously, have left more than 33 million people with limited access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, and child protection services. An estimated 2.5 million children are impacted by the closure of over 14,000 schools.

Displacement weakens social systems and support networks children rely on in emergencies. Its impacts significantly increase children's vulnerability, particularly to exploitation and abuse. However, only a small percentage of people have access to social assistance to support access to basic needs.

Public health emergencies are increasing in frequency and severity in West and Central Africa. Low vaccination coverage, especially in areas impacted by multiple shocks, along with the strain placed on health infrastructure due to displacement and funding constraints, have created cycles of concurrent outbreaks. Measles, polio, Ebola virus disease, Marburg virus disease, Lassa fever, diphtheria, cholera and mpox remain prevalent in the region and have a disproportionate impact on children. In 2025, more than 4.1 million children under 5 years of age will require polio, pentavalent and measles vaccination and UNICEF will work with governments and partners to strengthen preparedness and response systems in countries affected by outbreaks, at high-risk of outbreaks and in neighboring countries.

In 2025, 1.1 million children will suffer from wasting in the 10 countries included in this appeal. Extreme floods have been recorded each year across the region, exacerbated by climate change. The flooding threatens children with displacement, separation from their families and the closure of schools and medical centres. Floods also bring a high risk of outbreaks of waterborne diseases, such as cholera, and can negatively impact food security and nutrition conditions due to the destruction of crops and livelihoods.