Dakar, Senegal – May 12, 2025
Without immediate funding, WFP will be forced to scale down even further, both in the number of people reached and the size of food rations distributed
A dire hunger crisis is unfolding in West and Central Africa, with nearly 53 million people projected to face severe food insecurity during the June-August 2025 lean season, according to the latest Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis. The World Food Programme (WFP) has sounded the alarm, warning that almost three million people are at risk of emergency or catastrophic hunger levels, with 2,600 individuals in Mali facing the most extreme conditions (IPC/CH Phase 5). This marks a 16-million-person increase in food insecurity since earlier this year, driven by a toxic combination of conflict, climate shocks, and economic instability.
The WFP’s Regional Director for Western Africa, Margot van der Velden, described the situation as a “continuously worsening trend,” exacerbated by a sharp decline in humanitarian funding. In countries like Niger and Mali, funding cuts have exceeded 45% compared to last year, forcing the WFP to reduce food rations for millions during the region’s most challenging months. “Without immediate funding, WFP will be forced to scale down even further, both in the number of people reached and the size of food rations distributed,” van der Velden stated. She emphasized the need for a “fundamental shift” in approach, urging global partners to provide timely, flexible funding and invest in long-term resilience programs to break the cycle of hunger.
Conflict remains a primary driver of the crisis, with over 10 million people forcibly displaced across the region, including 1.4 million refugees in Chad alone, many fleeing Sudan’s ongoing war. In eastern Chad’s Koursigue refugee camp, Sudanese refugee Abdelminime Moussa shared his struggle: “We had nothing when we arrived. I manage as best I can to feed my children,” he said, relying entirely on WFP rations of vegetable oil, salt, sorghum, and split peas. Similarly, 25-year-old Makka Ahmat Haroun, also from Sudan’s North Darfur, expressed a simple wish: “Not to be hungry.”
Climate shocks have compounded the crisis, with deadly floods affecting six million people this year and disrupting agricultural productivity. In the Central Sahel, recurrent extreme weather has eroded families’ ability to feed themselves, while food inflation—exacerbated by rising fuel costs in countries like Ghana, Guinea, and Ivory Coast—has made basic nutritious food unaffordable for many. The cost of a daily nutritious diet in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger is now 110% higher than the daily minimum wage, according to WFP data. Cereal production deficits, reported at 12 million tons for the 2023-2024 agricultural season, have further strained food availability.
Malnutrition is also at a critical level, with 16.7 million children under five acutely malnourished across the region. More than two-thirds of households cannot afford healthy diets, and eight out of ten children aged 6-23 months lack the minimum dietary diversity needed for proper growth. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Sub-Regional Coordinator for West Africa, Robert Guei, called for a “paradigm shift” in response, advocating for integrated resilience programs and better access to locally produced fertilizers to boost sustainable food production.
The crisis is not limited to conflict zones. Coastal countries like Ivory Coast, Togo, and Ghana are seeing a 16% rise in acute hunger, with 6.2 million people affected, driven by economic challenges such as currency devaluation and soaring inflation. Nigeria, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic are among the hardest hit, with nearly eight million internally displaced in Nigeria and Cameroon alone.
Humanitarian organizations, including the WFP, FAO, and UNICEF, have been working with regional governments since 2018 to address the root causes of hunger, rehabilitating over 300,000 hectares of land and supporting more than four million people in 3,400 villages. However, the scale of the current crisis demands a global response. “Africa cannot wait,” warned Oxfam International, which is aiding over 2.2 million people with emergency food, water, and cash assistance while promoting climate-resilient solutions.
As the lean season approaches, the international community faces a critical test. Without immediate action, the hunger crisis in West and Central Africa threatens to spiral further out of control, leaving millions more at risk of starvation and long-term developmental setbacks.
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