Baseline Assessment

The Central Sahel area, and in particular the Liptako Gourma region, which borders Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, is affected by a complex crisis involving growing competition over dwindling resources; climatic variability; demographic pressure; high levels of poverty; disaffection and a lack of livelihood opportunities; communal tensions; the absence of state institutions and basic services; and violence related to organized crime and non-state armed groups. The crisis has triggered significant displacement of populations in the concerned countries and is affecting neighbouring countries such as Mauritania and the coastal countries.

As of February 2024, 3,025,322 individuals have been displaced, including 2,636,880 internally displaced persons (87% of the displaced population) and 388,442 refugees (13% of the displaced population). Sixty-nine per cent of the displaced populations (2,100,469 individuals) were located in Burkina Faso, while 14 per cent resided in Mali (419,534 individuals), 10 per cent in Niger (287,223 individuals) and 4 per cent in Mauritania (114,653 individuals). The crisis’ recent spill over to coastal countries, namely Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Benin, shows growing number of refugees coming from the Central Sahel and populations internally displaced. As of February, 103,443 individuals were affected by displacement within the four countries (9,899 in Benin, 40,093 in Côte d’Ivoire, 7,142 in Ghana and 46,309 in Togo) of which 30,372 were internally displaced.

La région du Sahel central, et plus particulièrement la zone du Liptako Gourma, qui enjambe le Burkina Faso, le Mali et le Niger, est témoin d’une crise complexe qui comprend comme enjeux une compétition grandissante pour le contrôle des ressources; des bouleversements climatiques; une croissance démographique galopante; des niveaux élevés de pauvreté; l’absence d’opportunités économiques; des tensions communautaires; l’absence de présence étatique et le manque de services sociaux de base; ainsi que des violences provoquées par des réseaux de crime organisé et des groupes armés non-étatiques. La crise a engendré des déplacements importants de populations dans les pays concernés et affecte, par ailleurs, des pays voisins tels que la Mauritanie ou les pays côtiers.  

​En février 2024, 3 0251 322 individus sont déplacés, y compris 2 636 880 personnes déplacées internes (87% de la population affectée) et 388 442 réfugiés (13% de la population affectée). Soixante-neuf pour cent des individus (2 100 469 personnes) se situaient au Burkina Faso, 14 pour cent résidaient au Mali (419 534 personnes), 10 pour cent au Niger (287 223 personnes) et 4 pour cent en Mauritanie (114 653 personnes). Le recent déversement de cette crise vers les pays côtiers, à savoir la Côte d’Ivoire, le Ghana, le Togo et le Bénin, fait prevue d’un nombre croissant de réfugiés arrivant du Sahel central vers ces pays et, à l’interne, des populations déplacées. En février, sont recensés 103 443 individus affectés dans ces quatre pays réunis (9 899 au Bénin, 40 093 en Côte d’Ivoire, 7 142 au Ghana et 46 309 au Togo) dont un total de 30 372 déplacés internes.​

Since October 8 there has been an increase in cross-border incidents between Israel and Lebanon, resulting in the displacement of people both within the South and elsewhere within the country. Since October 10, the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) has been conducting the daily monitoring of population movements. The objective of the exercise is to inform preparedness and response planning.

Overview

On 15 April 2023, armed clashes erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in multiple cities across Sudan. Clashes initially took place in cities across Northern and Khartoum states, later spreading across the Darfur and Kordofan regions.

Highlights

• DTM Sudan estimates that 6,467,700 individuals (1,289,341 households) were recently internally displaced.
• The IDP caseload was observed in 6,968 locations across all of Sudan’s 18 states. 
• The highest proportions of IDPs were observed across South Darfur (12%), River Nile (11%), and East Darfur (10%).
• Field teams reported that the IDPs observed were originally displaced from twelve states. The majority (3,564,234 IDPs, 55%) were reportedly displaced from Khartoum state; followed by South Darfur (15%), North Darfur (9%), Aj Jazirah (8%), Central Darfur (5%), West Darfur (4%), South Kordofan (2%), East Darfur (1%), West Kordofan (1%), North Kordofan (1%), Sennar (<1%) and White Nile (<1%).
• IOM-DTM also reported that an estimated 1,918,309 mixed cross-border movements were made into neighbouring countries.
• This product provides brief insights into those displaced in Sudan post-15 April 2023. For more granular information on the IDP caseload and the displacement context, please see IOM-DTM's Monthly Displacement Overview 06. 

As of December 2023, DTM identified a total of 1,092,196 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 183,437 households across Benue, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Nasarawa, Plateau, Sokoto, and Zamfara states. The data collection started in December 2023 in 1,646 locations, in the eight states of north-central and north-west Nigeria. The IDP population included IDPs in camps and camp-like settings (196,502 individuals or 18%) and IDPs residing in host communities (895,694 individuals or 82%). This signifies an IDP increase of 1.5 per cent or 16,303 IDPs compared to what it was in September 2023.