The Sahel is the semi-arid region just south of the Sahara but north of the more fertile areas further south, and cuts through countries such as Sudan, Mauritania and Senegal.
The number of refugees in the region has increased by two-thirds in five years and 80 percent of them are women and children according to UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency.
Now the UN is sounding the alarm that increased international support must be provided, as the affected countries do not have the capacity to handle the refugees on their own. According to the organization, more than $250 million, equivalent to 2.4 billion kronor, is needed to meet the humanitarian needs.
Many of the countries in the Sahel have had weak state formations for several years, which have been challenged by militia groups and struggled with recurring armed uprisings, often of an Islamist nature.
