The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has raised urgent alarms about a worsening food insecurity crisis in West and Central Africa, where millions are struggling to meet basic nutritional needs.
The latest data from the Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis reveals that over 36 million people in the region are facing food shortages, with projections indicating that this number could exceed 52 million during the lean season between June and August 2025.
The situation is particularly dire, with nearly three million people expected to face emergency food insecurity (IPC Phase 4), while a staggering 2,600 people in Mali are at risk of catastrophic hunger (IPC Phase 5). Margot van der Velden, WFP’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, described the crisis as critical, emphasizing that lives are at risk if urgent action is not taken.
She warned that without immediate funding, the WFP may be forced to cut back on its outreach and food distribution efforts.
“The region is at a tipping point,” van der Velden said. “Without urgent funding, WFP will be forced to scale down even further, reducing the number of people we can reach and the size of food rations we distribute.”
Conflict has been a primary driver of the crisis, displacing over 10 million people, including 2.4 million refugees and asylum seekers in countries like Chad, Cameroon, Mauritania, and Niger. Additionally, more than eight million people have been forced to flee within their own countries, particularly in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon, losing access to their homes, farms, and livelihoods.
Compounding the situation is a rise in inflation, especially in food and fuel prices, which is making it even harder for people to access nutritious food. Ghana, for example, has seen its food-insecure population more than double in just one year, from 1.1 million in 2024 to 2.3 million by May 2025.
Other countries, including Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon, are also witnessing alarming increases in hunger as inflation continues to erode purchasing power.
In addition to the economic challenges, extreme weather events are wreaking havoc in the region. In 2024, floods affected over six million people, particularly in the Central Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, and Central African Republic, displacing communities and further depleting already scarce resources.
Despite these challenges, WFP has been able to provide life-saving aid to three million of the most vulnerable individuals so far in 2025, including refugees, internally displaced persons, and malnourished children. However, without an immediate influx of funding, WFP warns that up to five million people could lose access to critical assistance.
Funding shortages have already taken a toll on WFP’s operations. In mid-2024, WFP was only able to assist 7.3 million people in the Sahel, just 60% of its target, and many recipients received reduced rations. The ongoing financial constraints also threaten the continuation of vital services, including the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), which is essential for logistics and transport in regions like Mali and Nigeria.
To continue operations and support the most vulnerable through October 2025, WFP urgently requires US$710 million. In addition to emergency aid, WFP is calling for long-term investments to address the root causes of hunger. Its Resilience Programme, which started in 2018, has already rehabilitated over 300,000 hectares of degraded land, benefiting more than four million people across 3,400 villages in the Sahel.
“By investing in early action and restoring ecosystems, we can protect communities, reduce future humanitarian needs, and strengthen local economies,” van der Velden stated. “We know what works. Now, we need collective action and investment to break the cycle of hunger.”
WFP remains committed to working closely with national governments, regional institutions, and humanitarian partners to provide timely, targeted, and sustainable assistance to those most in need in West and Central Africa.
