HAMILTON, Canada

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday warned that the security situation in West Africa and the Sahel is rapidly worsening, stressing that the region is facing escalating terrorist violence, displacement and deepening humanitarian needs.

"The security situation in West Africa and the Sahel is growing more critical by the day," Guterres said as he virtually addressed a Security Council session on peace consolidation in West Africa, adding that the latest "developments in Mali are a clear reminder of what is at stake."

"In the last month, terrorists have continued to attack military-escorted convoys, killing and kidnapping both soldiers and civilians," he said.

He emphasized that terrorism in the Sahel "is not only a regional dramatic reality," and warned that its growing links across Africa and beyond make it "a growing global threat."

Guterres said the Sahel's long-standing challenges, including poverty, weak institutions and climate pressures, continue to fuel instability, with armed groups exploiting the region's fragility.

"According to the Global Terrorism Index, five of the ten countries most affected by terrorism are in the Sahel," he noted, adding that the region "accounts for 19% of global terrorist attacks, and over half of global terrorism-related casualties."

He pointed to the severe humanitarian effect, and said that "about 4 million people are now displaced across Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and neighboring countries," while 14,800 schools and more than 900 health facilities have shut down.

Guterres outlined three urgent priorities: a unified regional security response, fully funded humanitarian appeals, and a coherent development strategy to address the underlying drivers of extremism.

"Terrorists thrive where the social contract is broken, when families are plunged into poverty and young people don't have employment, don't go to school," he stressed.​​​​​​​