West and Central Africa: Latest events at a glance (3 – 9 June 2025)

Chad
Chad accelerates refugee relocations as cholera nears eastern border

Chad is stepping up efforts to relocate 173,000 Sudanese refugees from Adré, eastern Chad, after MSF confirmed a cholera case just 10 km from the border. On 4 June, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, joined by key government officials, urged partners and donors to speed up operations amid the growing epidemic in Sudan.. An ad hoc committee of UN agencies, NGOs, donors, and key ministries will monitor progress. UNHCR warned that without additional land allocations, relocations would have to halt next week due to a lack of space in existing sites.

West and Central Africa
Mpox epidemic intensifies across West and Central Africa

WHO has extended the mpox international health emergency, with over 37,000 confirmed cases and 125 deaths reported across 25 countries since early 2024. The Democratic Republic of the Congo remains the epicentre, accounting for 60 per cent of cases and 40 per cent of deaths, followed by Uganda, Burundi, and Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone alone has recorded 3,140 confirmed cases and 15 deaths—over half of new cases in recent weeks. Africa CDC has released 2.5 million vaccine doses. The epidemic is advancing in West Africa, with Ghana reporting 45 confirmed cases within a month and Togo confirming cases. Authorities in Benin are reinforcing preventive measures to curb cross-border transmission.

Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cholera outbreak in Kalemie and Nyemba

From 29 May to 4 June, 318 new cholera cases and 12 associated deaths were reported in Kalemie and Nyemba, both in Tanganyika Province in south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Many of the deaths occurred among patients who left cholera treatment centres prematurely, contributing to increased community transmission. The use of unsafe water from Lake Tanganyika and frequent power outages affecting the public water supply (managed by REGIDESO, the national water utility) are fueling the outbreak.

Mali
Over 1.5 million children affected by malnutrition in Mali as per the latest Global Report on Food Crises

The latest Global Report on Food Crises, published in May 2025, ranks Mali among the countries most severely affected by malnutrition, alongside Sudan and Yemen. The report highlights that 1.58 million children in Mali face acute malnutrition, including 1.16 million with moderate acute malnutrition and 420,000 with severe acute malnutrition. Humanitarian partners expect the situation to deteriorate in the coming months due to extreme weather conditions—both floods and drought—in central and northern regions, as well as the threat of a locust invasion that could severely impact agricultural production. Close collaboration with national authorities, including the Ministry of Health and Social Development and Civil Protection, is ongoing to update national and regional contingency plans and to ensure the pre-positioning of supplies ahead of the rainy season.