The Sahel’s humanitarian crisis is deepening despite a significant increase in Official Development Assistance, which saw a 45% rise between 2016 and 2019. Yet, this has not improved governance indicators. During the same period, acute food insecurity and conflict events dramatically increased by 129% and 320%, respectively, affecting millions of people. In addition, forced displacement surged by 103%, impacting 3.6 million people. These worsening conditions are projected to deteriorate further due to rapid population growth, expected to double by 2050, and significant climate change effects, with regional temperatures increasing 1.5 times faster than the global average. 

In 2020, the humanitarian funding gap reached 56%, reflecting severe underfunding in response plans. Key factors, such as inadequate local governance, low education and poor health access, and insufficient job opportunities, remain largely overlooked by actors across the Humanitarian, Development, and Peace-Nexus (HDP-N). These factors are the root causes behind the escalating food insecurity, conflict, and forced displacement, which are often exacerbated by climate change. Current efforts often focus on these symptoms rather than their underlying causes. Redirecting the focus towards addressing these root causes could improve the effectiveness of aid and climate finance directed at reducing regional fragility.