More than one million people, the majority of whom are women and children, have been displaced from their homes in Sahel, the narrow band of dry grassland that runs east to west along the southern edge of the Sahara in West Africa.

Violence and terrorism have forced many to leave behind everything — homes, personal belongings, livestock, and fields that have belonged to families for generations. More than 2,500 schools have been closed. Attacks against civilians have greatly limited health care and relief efforts for those most severely impacted. The situation in the region has deteriorated rapidly into what many are considering the worst displacement crisis in West Africa as armed groups continue to grow and expand their reach. Hunger levels are rising dangerously because of jihadist violence as well as Covid-19 restrictions.

The CMF team in West Africa has been searching for a way to come alongside these IDPs for almost two years. The majority of these displaced peoples live in areas that we are currently unable to personally access for security reasons. We recently partnered with a local Christian organization to provide relief to those whose lives have been upended. We are grateful to participate in sharing the love of Christ in such a tangible way. The initial stage focuses on providing food, sleeping mats, blankets and mosquito nets. We hope to have the opportunity to assist some IDPs with development projects in the future.

Can you help us provide basic necessities to these displaced families? We will collect funds for this project through the end of October 2020.

$35 can provide a 100-kilogram sack of corn for a family.
$15 can provide sleeping mats for a family.
$35 can provide mosquito nets for a family.
$40 can provide blankets for a family for the coming cold season
$125 can provide all of these things for a family of eight.