West and Central Africa

Where we work

West and Central Africa

Conflicts and climate crises drive displacement in West and Central Africa, with urgent need for protection and resilient solutions.

Central African Republic. A Sudanese Refugee Family Rebuilds in the Central African Republic

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Regional overview

West and Central Africa faces complex displacement dynamics driven by conflict, insecurity, food shortages, and adverse weather events. As of September 2025, the region hosted 21.2 million forcibly displaced and stateless people, with 39% in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This figure is projected to reach 25.1 million by the end of 2026, with internally displaced persons making up the majority—expected to climb to 14.8 million. The DRC, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso host the largest IDP populations, with approximately 5 million, 3.6 million, and 2.1 million people respectively.

Refugee flows remain significant, particularly due to the Sudan crisis, which has driven 878,000 arrivals in Chad and 39,000 in the Central African Republic (CAR) since April 2023, alongside increasing arrivals of Burkinabe in Mali. Onward movements through Chad, Mali, Niger, and Senegal continue to shape mobility along the West Africa Atlantic and Central Mediterranean routes.

Where conditions allow, voluntary returns are expected to continue in 2026. Anchored by the CAR Solutions Support Platform, 60,000 refugee returns to CAR are anticipated, while facilitated repatriation from the DRC to Rwanda may reach 10,000, supported by momentum from the peace process.

Global Appeal regional overviews:

2025 | 2024 | 2023

Global Report regional overviews:

2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021

Ongoing emergencies in West and Central Africa

Wooden boats float on a wide, muddy river. One bears a UNHCR flag.

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Central African Republic emergency

Insecurity, conflict and climate shocks continue to fuel displacement in the Central African Republic and its neighbouring countries. UNHCR is scaling up efforts to support voluntary returns, strengthen protection and support durable solutions.

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DR Congo emergency

The emergency in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the most complex humanitarian crises in the world. Conditions for displaced people are worsening on a daily basis as attacks on sites for the internally displaced increase, resources run dry, and many find themselves unable to meet their most urgent needs without humanitarian assistance.

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Sahel emergency

The Sahel region is undergoing a deep transformation which calls for an adjustment in humanitarian engagement to address the worsening crisis characterized by escalating forced displacement and increased protection needs.

UNHCR's work in the region

UNHCR will continue supporting countries in the Lake Chad Basin to establish legal frameworks for voluntary repatriation, including finalizing tripartite agreements with Chad, Niger, and Nigeria for the return of Nigerian refugees in line with international protection standards. In West Africa, discussions will begin under the Lomé Declaration to develop agreements facilitating voluntary returns of Burkinabe refugees once conditions allow.

Severe funding cuts have forced UNHCR to reduce programmes by 25%, with a further 19% reduction expected in 2026, making prioritization essential. UNHCR will focus on immediate protection needs while laying the groundwork for long-term solutions, accelerating the integration of refugee services into national systems and reducing reliance on parallel humanitarian structures.

Regional priorities include advancing protection and solutions, building resilience through partnerships, strengthening emergency preparedness, and optimizing resource mobilization. UNHCR will support access to territory, registration, and documentation, while reinforcing national asylum systems and promoting accession to key international conventions. Community-based protection approaches will address child protection and violence against women and girls.

Together with IOM, UNHCR will apply a route-based approach to mixed movements, focusing on protection-sensitive entry, asylum access, inclusion, and legal pathways. Advocacy with development and private sector actors will drive investment in areas of return and support national stabilization strategies, enabling reintegration of IDPs in Burkina Faso, CAR, DRC, and Nigeria. Protection monitoring will be scaled up through improved data collection and analysis to guide programming amid shrinking resources.

UNHCR will also strengthen emergency preparedness for overlapping crises, including new displacement and seasonal flooding. Inclusion of displaced populations in national socio-economic programmes remains central to resilience-building. Flagship initiatives include agriculture projects in Nigeria, village development hubs in CAR, DRC, and Niger, and transforming camps into settlements in Cameroon and Chad, promoting access to land, climate-resilient agriculture, financial inclusion, and entrepreneurship.