Sahel crisis deepens: Violence, hunger, and climate shocks push millions to brink

United Nations – The humanitarian crisis in Africa’s Sahel region is rapidly worsening, driven by a surge of violence—especially in the central Sahel. Although the United Nations says the crisis has “largely faded from the headlines” since it began in 2012, millions of people now face dire conditions. Civilian displacement, climate shocks, and widespread hunger are spilling across national borders. The region, which stretches across the continent just south of the Sahara Desert, is struggling to contain the fallout. The UN warns that without urgent international attention, the situation could push the Sahel to the brink of collapse.