Sahel Displacement Reaches 3.8 Million as UN Calls for Investment in Lives and Futures

“The Central Sahel is a region of consequence. We cannot be indifferent,” Salih said, pointing to the wider implications of insecurity, climate pressures and forced displacement.

Families forced from their homes across the Central Sahel need immediate protection and a real chance to rebuild, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih said after visiting Mali and Burkina Faso, where he met people seeking safety, returning to damaged communities and finding ways to earn a living. His appeal called for investment that reaches beyond emergency assistance, giving displaced people and the communities welcoming them access to schools, work and essential services in a region where insecurity continues to uproot millions.

A growing crisis reaches across borders

The number of forcibly displaced people across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger has nearly doubled since 2020, reaching 3.8 million by 31 July 2026, including more than 818,000 refugees and asylum-seekers. Insecurity remains the main reason people flee, with the consequences spreading into neighbouring countries already facing pressure on their resources. By July, more than 460,000 refugees and asylum-seekers escaping violence in Burkina Faso had sought protection abroad, and Mauritania was hosting around 169,000 Malian refugees. Refugees across the Sahel are undertaking dangerous journeys towards North Africa and Europe, often travelling alongside migrants.

"The Central Sahel is a region of consequence. We cannot be indifferent," Salih said, pointing to the wider implications of insecurity, climate pressures and forced displacement. The vast majority of refugees from Mali and Burkina Faso remain in neighbouring countries across the region, making support for those hosts central to the response. Governments and local communities continue to welcome people despite considerable strain on services, infrastructure and resources, a commitment Salih described as an opportunity for international partners to support protection and inclusion on a larger scale.

Families rebuild, children need classrooms

In Koro, Mali, Salih saw UNHCR's emergency response in an area that had received around 86,000 refugees from Burkina Faso as of July 2026. His visit to Timbuktu brought him into contact with families rebuilding their lives after years away, among more than 40,000 Malians who have returned with support from authorities, UNHCR and partner organisations. In Kaya, Burkina Faso, agricultural and connectivity initiatives showed how UNHCR is supporting national efforts to strengthen livelihoods, resilience and self-reliance for displaced people and their hosts. He also met refugees from Mali, Chad and Mauritania living and working in Ouagadougou.

Access to education gives these efforts particular urgency: more than half of registered refugees and asylum-seekers in the Central Sahel are younger than 18, and only one-third of refugee children have access to primary and secondary schooling. For families trying to recover from displacement, a place in school and a dependable income are foundations for a more secure future. Salih said many people he met were focused on rebuilding, describing emerging solutions that need investment beyond humanitarian assistance to reach more communities.

Protection commitments face a funding squeeze

Mali continues to uphold asylum and international protection, including recognising refugees arriving from Burkina Faso and Niger on a prima facie basis, which allows recognition based on the circumstances affecting the group. Burkina Faso provides refugees with access to essential rights, including education and livelihood opportunities, and is advancing their inclusion in national social protection systems. Meetings with government representatives, humanitarian and development partners, and donors focused on building on these commitments, with stronger involvement from international financial institutions and private businesses needed to expand lasting solutions.

UNHCR's Central Sahel response is only 25 per cent funded, leaving documentation, shelter, livelihoods and economic inclusion programmes affected as needs grow. The agency remains active across the region, including border communities and places that are difficult to reach, working with governments and residents to protect people forced to flee and help them rebuild. Salih's appeal asks international partners to match that local commitment with resources that support both survival today and a future families can depend on.