Sahel crisis spillover strains Gulf of Guinea as insecurity, disease, and displacement surge

West Africa faces a deepening humanitarian crisis as the fallout from armed conflict in the Central Sahel region continues to spill into neighboring Gulf of Guinea countries, according to a new UNICEF report.
In the first half of 2025, escalating violence in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger has displaced more than 515,000 people into coastal countries like Mauritania, Ghana, Benin, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire. Mauritania alone now hosts over 309,000 Malian refugees, while northern Benin and Togo have seen major population displacements due to frequent attacks by non-state armed groups. This mass displacement is overwhelming fragile public services and worsening access to essentials such as healthcare, education, clean water, and nutrition. UNICEF reports treating 16,500 children for severe wasting and vaccinating over 68,000 against measles, but funding shortfalls — only 17% of its $76.8 million appeal met — limit the response.
Public health crises are also spreading. Cholera, measles, and mpox outbreaks have emerged in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Mauritania, while climate shocks, including floods and droughts, are worsening food insecurity and triggering conflict over water access. With 404 security incidents recorded across coastal West Africa in 2024, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), a World Food Program (WFP) report published in July stressed the urgent need for a triple nexus approach — “integrating humanitarian, development, and peace outcomes” — to stem the crisis and bolster community resilience across the region.