UNHCR West and Central Africa Regional Update
West Africa
Operational information on the West Africa subregion is presented below. A summary of this can also be downloaded in PDF format. This subregion covers the following countries:
| Benin | Burkina Faso | Cabo Verde | Côte d’Ivoire | Gambia (the) | Ghana | Guinea | Guinea-Bissau | Liberia | Mali | Niger | Nigeria | Senegal | Sierra Leone| Togo |
Subregion: West Africa
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Budgets and Expenditure in Subregion West Africa
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2019
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{"categories":[2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019],"p1":[205.830081875,229.700946219,184.51141581,182.69784356099998,185.89736406999998,180.59274395],"p2":[3.83601618,5.92538567,8.50740967,8.419440470000001,15.215266640000001,10.35215742],"p3":[9.32947275,18.671615912,37.016635417,64.581448364,35.36180788,37.62451103],"p4":[54.25274055,38.54838657,43.1943975,53.53084320400001,58.085682090000006,59.32628434]}
{"categories":[2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019],"p1":[118.99389722,99.31289964,92.52541498000001,94.36598848,115.51405543000001,134.26605662],"p2":[2.13033718,3.2402938900000002,4.359275429999999,4.868401599999999,5.3968353,6.45099789],"p3":[4.1636139,6.17672818,8.83352232,26.09794605,15.270127689999999,11.632820070000001],"p4":[10.493252029999999,14.21993714,23.95316431,19.79113436,16.808233039999998,32.05032578]}
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People of Concern - 2019
[["Refugees",348166],["Asylum-seekers",46810],["IDPs",3155465],["Returned IDPs",53457],["Returned refugees",8671],["Stateless",955514],["Others of concern",32141]]Loading ...
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Operational environment
Ethnic violence, intra-state conflicts and extremism continue to generate internal displacement and a parallel influx of refugees across West Africa. The protracted situations in the sub-region continue to add to the complexity of the operational environment. In 2019, UNHCR will continue to adopt a regional approach and apply a combination of multi-year, multi-partner protection and solutions strategies while consolidating and building upon the foundation of previous efforts applied to resolve the protracted refugee situations.The Lake Chad basin conflict remains the highest singular cause of continued large-scale displacement in the sub-region. Since January 2018, the total number of new internal displacements in Nigeria alone, increased by over 214,000. By mid-year, some 1,918,500 Nigerians were internally displaced, with an additional 238,100 in Cameroon, close to 162,800 in Chad, and some 104,300 in Niger. The recurrence of increasingly violent conflict between herders and farmers in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region is producing further population displacement and therefore further exacerbating the already dire situation. The escalating tensions between communities in the border areas between Burkina Faso and Mali as well as Mali and Niger are also causing displacement. This situation is further compounded by displacement caused by G5 Sahel and national army military operations in the same border areas. The situation in these border regions remain complex, unstable and perilous due to the proliferation of jihadist groups. Insurgent activities have generated an outflow of refugees from Burkina Faso and Mali as well as internal displacement within Niger. Counter-insurgency operations remain a complicating factor in the short-term. A similar trend has been developing in the northern part of Cameroon. The conflict in the Anglophone southwest and north west areas of Cameroon, has resulted in over 26,000 Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria. Further ethnic conflict between the Tuareg and Peulh on the northern side of Mali‘s border with Niger has also forced 42,300 IDPs into Tahoua and Tillabéri regions. Armed groups and their activities in the Central African Republic remain a cause of insecurity, resulting in a further displacement of Central African refugees, mainly into Cameroon. As of August 2018, of the 573,300 Central African refugees in the sub-region, at least 261,200 were in Cameroon. The Central African Republic (CAR) remains a major source of refugees in the sub-region, followed by Sudan, Nigeria and Mali. The Mali Situation remains of concern with close to 70,000 Malians internally displaced at the end of August 2018 and a further 139,800 across Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger.
With the exception of Sudan, current displacement trends in the CAR, Mali and Nigeria are projected to continue in 2019. Nevertheless, possibilities of return remain open for Sudanese, Ivoirians, and Ghanaian, CAR refugees and IDPs and Togolese refugees.
More than half of the IDPs in the sub-region are in need of shelter and food. The Lake Chad basin conflict alone has led to over 5.3 million people in need of life-saving food assistance, many of whom are refugees and IDPs. In Eastern Nigeria, the level of malnutrition has reached a critical state. In 2019, prioritizing livelihood support will be key to ensure populations have sustainable access to food and other essential needs. As a large portion of the displaced population are children and many of them out of school, support to guarantee their access to education will be prioritized. Throughout the region, priority will be given to the registration of newly displaced populations, in order to enable their access to protection and services. As such, registration of all refugees, IDPs and returnees on an individual basis will be prioritised, while ensuring that persons at risk of statelessness are identified and assisted with documentation. In Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso, identification of stateless persons will be complemented with sensitization on nationality procedures. Provision of health care, water and sanitation facilities will also remain vital. As more possibilities of return remain open for Sudanese, Ivorians, Ghanaian and Togolese refugees, the office will proactively promote voluntary return, and support towards return and reintegration programmes, particularly in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo. At the same time, the office will support the local integration of those refugees unwilling to return home.
In West Africa, UNHCR will continue operating under the supervisory responsibility of the UNHCR Regional Office for West Africa through regional response frameworks. A similar approach will be adopted for IDPs in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Mali and Nigeria. Simultaneously, a multi-year protection and solutions strategy will be pursued in respect of Senegalese refugees in Gambia and Guinea Bissau, Mauritanian refugees in Senegal and Mali, Ghanaian refugees in Togo, Togolese refugees in Ghana and for Ivorian Refugees in Liberia. Ongoing advocacy for local integration will be maintained. The office will also capitalize on progress made since 2015 by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on reducing statelessness while building upon and consolidating results of the #IBelong statelessness campaign.
2019 Budget and Expenditure in West Africa | USD
| Operation | Pillar 1 Refugee programme |
Pillar 2 Stateless programme |
Pillar 3 Reintegration projects |
Pillar 4 IDP projects |
Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burkina Faso | Budget Expenditure | 18,030,041 13,053,748 | 436,361 222,071 | 0 0 | 12,047,849 6,752,547 | 30,514,251 20,028,366 |
| Côte d'Ivoire | Budget Expenditure | 7,078,136 3,841,354 | 6,431,205 4,146,049 | 3,088,491 1,755,474 | 0 0 | 16,597,833 9,742,878 |
| Ghana | Budget Expenditure | 7,697,082 5,733,794 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 7,697,082 5,733,794 |
| Liberia | Budget Expenditure | 11,041,618 7,831,328 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 11,041,618 7,831,328 |
| Mali | Budget Expenditure | 8,282,250 6,540,751 | 0 0 | 7,449,999 5,300,932 | 1,600,000 1,262,029 | 17,332,250 13,103,713 |
| Niger | Budget Expenditure | 68,952,051 57,460,534 | 916,541 547,826 | 0 0 | 14,306,824 8,355,597 | 84,175,416 66,363,957 |
| Nigeria | Budget Expenditure | 34,607,605 20,027,855 | 0 0 | 27,086,020 4,576,414 | 31,371,611 15,680,153 | 93,065,236 40,284,422 |
| Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa | Budget Expenditure | 2,761,700 2,173,156 | 3,300 3,278 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 2,765,000 2,176,434 |
| Senegal Regional Office | Budget Expenditure | 22,142,262 17,603,535 | 2,564,750 1,531,774 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 24,707,012 19,135,309 |
| Total | Budget Expenditure | 180,592,744 134,266,057 | 10,352,157 6,450,998 | 37,624,511 11,632,820 | 59,326,284 32,050,326 | 287,895,697 184,400,200 |
2019 Voluntary Contributions to West and Central Africa | USD
| Earmarking / Donor | Pillar 1 Refugee programme |
Pillar 2 Stateless programme |
Pillar 3 Reintegration projects |
Pillar 4 IDP projects |
All pillars |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West and Central Africa overall | ||||||
| France | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,136,364 | 1,136,364 |
| West and Central Africa overall subtotal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,136,364 | 1,136,364 |
| Burkina Faso | ||||||
| Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 380,807 | 380,807 |
| Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,991,263 | 0 | 1,991,263 |
| Denmark | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,945,942 | 2,945,942 |
| European Union | 2,017,051 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,017,051 |
| France | 674,242 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 674,242 |
| Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,136,364 | 1,136,364 |
| Private donors in Japan | 194,688 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 194,688 |
| Private donors in Spain | 18,891 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18,891 |
| Private donors in the United States of America | 165,152 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 165,152 |
| UN Peacebuilding Fund | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 160,500 | 160,500 |
| UNAIDS | 20,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20,000 |
| United States of America | 80,250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9,135,197 | 9,215,447 |
| Burkina Faso subtotal | 3,170,273 | 0 | 0 | 1,991,263 | 13,758,810 | 18,920,346 |
| Cameroon | ||||||
| Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 455,927 | 455,927 |
| Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,456,571 | 0 | 3,456,571 |
| Denmark | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,524,623 | 1,524,623 |
| European Union | 73,038 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 73,038 |
| France | 0 | 0 | 0 | 568,182 | 497,159 | 1,065,341 |
| Germany | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4,400,000 | 4,400,000 |
| Japan | 585,510 | 0 | 0 | 114,490 | 180,603 | 880,603 |
| Luxembourg | 261,506 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 261,506 |
| Private donors in Spain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 666,667 | 666,667 |
| Private donors in the United States of America | 237,255 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 237,255 |
| Sweden | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 769,992 | 769,992 |
| UNAIDS | 30,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30,000 |
| United States of America | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19,700,000 | 19,700,000 |
| Cameroon subtotal | 1,187,309 | 0 | 0 | 4,139,242 | 28,194,971 | 33,521,522 |
| Central African Republic | ||||||
| African Union | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 723,101 | 0 | 723,101 |
| Common Humanitarian Fund Sudan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 875,730 | 0 | 875,730 |
| Education Cannot Wait | 200,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 200,000 |
| France | 0 | 0 | 1,136,364 | 0 | 727,273 | 1,863,636 |
| Germany | 0 | 21,400 | 0 | 0 | 1,184,834 | 1,206,234 |
| Luxembourg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 261,506 | 261,506 |
| Private donors in Spain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,727 | 2,727 |
| Private donors in the United States of America | 0 | 0 | 0 | 299,568 | 0 | 299,568 |
| Spain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 568,828 | 0 | 568,828 |
| Sweden | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,099,989 | 1,099,989 |
| UNAIDS | 35,800 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35,800 |
| United States of America | 0 | 0 | 1,141,725 | 0 | 12,958,275 | 14,100,000 |
| Central African Republic subtotal | 235,800 | 21,400 | 2,278,089 | 2,467,227 | 16,334,604 | 21,337,120 |
| Chad | ||||||
| Belgium | 2,275,313 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,275,313 |
| Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 455,927 | 455,927 |
| Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) | 2,150,573 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,150,573 |
| Denmark | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,524,623 | 1,524,623 |
| European Union | 4,102,608 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4,102,608 |
| France | 1,815,151 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 497,159 | 2,312,310 |
| Germany | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,200,000 | 2,200,000 |
| Private donors in Germany | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 80,250 | 80,250 |
| Private donors in Italy | 39,063 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 125,704 | 164,766 |
| Private donors in Japan | 2,306,973 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9,660 | 2,316,633 |
| Private donors in Spain | 11,932 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11,932 |
| Private donors in the Netherlands | 54,268 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54,268 |
| Private donors in the United States of America | 237,981 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 127,230 | 365,211 |
| Spain | 441,115 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 441,115 |
| Sweden | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 879,991 | 879,991 |
| Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 753,012 | 753,012 |
| UN Peacebuilding Fund | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 467,005 | 467,005 |
| UNAIDS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| UNDP | 262,861 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 262,861 |
| United States of America | 2,800,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27,325,490 | 30,125,490 |
| Chad subtotal | 16,497,837 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34,466,050 | 50,963,887 |
| Côte d'Ivoire | ||||||
| Italy | 0 | 608,646 | 243,458 | 0 | 0 | 852,105 |
| United States of America | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4,500,000 | 4,500,000 |
| Côte d'Ivoire subtotal | 0 | 608,646 | 243,458 | 0 | 4,500,000 | 5,352,105 |
| Ghana | ||||||
| United States of America | 1,200,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,200,000 |
| Ghana subtotal | 1,200,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,200,000 |
| Liberia | ||||||
| Private donors in Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 187 | 187 |
| UN Women | 9,173 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9,173 |
| UNAIDS | 20,900 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20,900 |
| United States of America | 1,750,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,750,000 |
| Liberia subtotal | 1,780,073 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 187 | 1,780,260 |
| Mali | ||||||
| Czech Republic | 1,136,364 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,136,364 |
| Denmark | 301,932 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,209,456 | 2,511,389 |
| European Union | 199,379 | 0 | 1,595,031 | 0 | 0 | 1,794,410 |
| France | 333,333 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 333,333 |
| Private donors in Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 156 | 156 |
| Spotlight Initiative | 399,650 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 399,650 |
| Sweden | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 549,995 | 549,995 |
| Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 504,032 | 504,032 |
| UN Peacebuilding Fund | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 275,000 | 275,000 |
| United States of America | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,900,000 | 3,900,000 |
| Mali subtotal | 2,370,658 | 0 | 1,595,031 | 0 | 7,438,639 | 11,404,329 |
| Niger | ||||||
| Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 303,951 | 303,951 |
| Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) | 2,642,556 | 0 | 0 | 213,210 | 0 | 2,855,766 |
| Czech Republic | 1,069,748 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,069,748 |
| European Union | 23,205,607 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23,205,607 |
| France | 1,187,973 | 0 | 0 | 248,580 | 0 | 1,436,553 |
| Germany | 3,851,209 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,400,000 | 7,251,209 |
| Italy | 1,784,775 | 0 | 0 | 1,200,769 | 328,669 | 3,314,213 |
| Luxembourg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 261,506 | 261,506 |
| Private donors in Italy | 170,438 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 170,438 |
| Private donors in the United States of America | 87,957 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 87,957 |
| Spain | 385,039 | 0 | 0 | 385,039 | 0 | 770,077 |
| UN Peacebuilding Fund | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,138,917 | 1,138,917 |
| UNAIDS | 35,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35,000 |
| United States of America | 2,000,000 | 0 | 0 | 1,000,000 | 14,618,190 | 17,618,190 |
| Niger subtotal | 36,420,301 | 0 | 0 | 3,047,597 | 20,051,234 | 59,519,131 |
| Nigeria | ||||||
| Common Humanitarian Fund Sudan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,696,908 | 1,696,908 |
| France | 340,909 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 497,159 | 838,068 |
| Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 852,105 | 852,105 |
| Nigeria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 63,735 | 63,735 |
| Private donors in Spain | 56,186 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56,186 |
| Private donors in the United Arab Emirates | 20,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20,000 |
| Spain | 57,078 | 0 | 0 | 625,143 | 0 | 682,221 |
| UN Trust Fund for Human Security | 0 | 0 | 0 | 332,734 | 0 | 332,734 |
| United States of America | 5,000,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6,700,000 | 11,700,000 |
| WFP | 1,000,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,000,000 |
| Nigeria subtotal | 6,474,172 | 0 | 0 | 957,877 | 9,809,906 | 17,241,956 |
| Senegal Regional Office | ||||||
| European Union | 482,909 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 482,909 |
| France | 340,909 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 340,909 |
| Private donors in Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 201 | 201 |
| UNESCO | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 108,070 | 108,070 |
| United States of America | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,000,000 | 3,000,000 |
| Senegal Regional Office subtotal | 823,818 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,108,271 | 3,932,089 |
| Total | 70,160,241 | 630,046 | 4,116,578 | 12,603,206 | 138,799,037 | 226,309,108 |
