Nearly 4 million people are now uprooted across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, including more than 818,000 refugees and asylum seekers.
UNHCR reported on 9 October 2026 that this is roughly twice the figure from October 2020, driven by attacks on civilians, climate shocks and severe funding shortfalls.
As of September 2026, UNHCR's Sahel response was only 27 percent funded, against needs of 329.6 million dollars, forcing difficult choices on registration, shelter, services and livelihoods.