West Africa

Donors attending Monday’s pledging conference in Brussels must address a massive funding shortfall – over $900 million - on work needed to tackle the food crisis in the Sahel.

The current food crisis in Niger is likely to escalate into a full-scale humanitarian emergency if urgent action is not taken, international agency Oxfam warned today. Already, 1.9 million people are at severe risk, and by April, this number could rise to 3.5 million people if help doesn’t come now, according to the National Early Warning System.

Mauritania is one of the largest and least populated countries of West Africa. Despite the country’s huge reserves of resources (fish, iron, oil, gold, etc.), more than 16.6% of the population lives below the extreme poverty line.

The Central African Republic is a landlocked country in Central Africa, rich in natural resources but plagued by conflict and persistent instability. Since 2013, the country has faced serious humanitarian crises, including violence, mass displacement, and food insecurity.

Ghana has seen tremendous progress in development and poverty reduction in the last two decades. But its success has been uneven and significant inequalities still exist, especially between the south and the north where the majority of the population lives on less than $1 a day.

With a population reaching almost 7.5 million people, Sierra Leone is a country with high levels of poverty and deprivation.

Senegal is the westernmost country in West Africa. While it is characterized in the continent by political alternation, democratic stability and diplomatic leadership, it faces significant challenges related to economic inequality and social injustice.

Nigeria is the largest economy in West Africa, and the third largest in Africa. However, although Nigeria is considered to be a regional economic powerhouse, the levels of inequality in this country leave many needs unfulfilled. Nigeria ranks 157 out of 189 countries on the Human Development Index (HDI) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 

Niger, one of the largest countries in West Africa, faces significant challenges related to climate crisis and political instability. Oxfam plays a vital role in addressing the consequences, in humanitarian, development, and advocacy work. 

Since 2012, Mali has been facing a complex, multi-dimensional crisis which is affecting the living conditions of millions of people. This situation has led to difficulties in accessing basic social services, thereby exacerbating vulnerabilities and inequalities amongst the population.