The United Nations has warned that worsening insecurity in West Africa and the Sahel is intensifying humanitarian needs, with millions facing acute food shortages and young people increasingly targeted for recruitment by extremist groups.
Addressing the Security Council on Thursday, August 7, Leonardo Santos Simao, head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, described the security situation as “of paramount concern,” noting that maritime security also requires coordinated regional action.
He reported that 12.8 million people are projected to face acute food insecurity and highlighted that women remain under-represented in peace and governance processes, despite efforts by the Alliance of Sahel States — Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger — to strengthen defence, diplomacy, and development cooperation.
UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous stressed that women and girls in the Sahel endure the worst effects of terrorism, poverty, and a lack of education, with many facing forced marriage, genital mutilation, and the loss of livelihoods. She outlined five overlapping crises — terrorism, poverty, food insecurity, declining international aid, and shrinking civic space — warning that life under extremist control results in women’s near-complete exclusion from public life.
With 60% of out-of-school girls in the wider region never having attended school, Bahous urged the global community to support the women of the Sahel, not as an act of charity, but in recognition of their critical role in building a more stable and prosperous future.