Skip to main content
ACAPSACAPS
Change country

Country analysis

Benin

Insecurity in the north primarily drives the humanitarian crisis in Benin. Since 2021, non-state armed groups (NSAGs) linked to the Islamic State and Al Qaeda have expanded their activities, particularly in Alibori and Atacora, targeting civilians and security forces. Regular armed clashes between NSAGs and the Beninese army have since persisted. The number of casualties has increased owing to attacks on civilians, kidnappings, and forced displacement from rising insecurity, significantly increasing protection risks in northern Benin.

Around 12,500 IDPs were reported in February 2024, a figure likely to have increased, although updated data is unavailable. The spillover of violence from the Sahel countries has also sharply increased refugee arrivals, with over 16,000 refugees and 7,000 asylum seekers by January 2025, primarily from Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, and Togo. Displacement and insecurity disrupt agricultural production, contributing to worsening food insecurity.

In September 2024, authorities announced the arrest of political figures accused of planning a coup, increasing tensions despite Benin’s reputation for stability. The closure of Benin’s border with Niger following the 2023 coup has also disrupted trade and humanitarian supply chains, affecting food availability and economic stability before relations improved in late 2024.

(WFP 18/11/2024, UNHCR accessed 05/05/2025, IFRC 19/06/2024, IOM 12/02/2025).

Insecurity in the north primarily drives the humanitarian crisis in Benin. Since 2021, non-state armed groups (NSAGs) linked to the Islamic State and Al Qaeda have expanded their activities, particularly in Alibori and Atacora, targeting civilians and security forces. Regular armed clashes between NSAGs and the Beninese army have since persisted. The number of casualties has increased owing to attacks on civilians, kidnappings, and forced displacement from rising insecurity, significantly increasing protection risks in northern Benin.

Around 12,500 IDPs were reported in February 2024, a figure likely to have increased, although updated data is unavailable. The spillover of violence from the Sahel countries has also sharply increased refugee arrivals, with over 16,000 refugees and 7,000 asylum seekers by January 2025, primarily from Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, and Togo. Displacement and insecurity disrupt agricultural production, contributing to worsening food insecurity.

In September 2024, authorities announced the arrest of political figures accused of planning a coup, increasing tensions despite Benin’s reputation for stability. The closure of Benin’s border with Niger following the 2023 coup has also disrupted trade and humanitarian supply chains, affecting food availability and economic stability before relations improved in late 2024.

(WFP 18/11/2024, UNHCR accessed 05/05/2025, IFRC 19/06/2024, IOM 12/02/2025).

View more

Latest updates on country situation

13 April 2026

Cross-border displacement from northwestern Nigeria has led to an influx of over 3,000 refugees into Segbana, northern Benin, since mid-February 2026, following violent armed group attacks in Katsina, Niger, and Sokoto states involving killings, kidnappings, and village burnings. Most arrivals, predominantly women and children, fled with limited belongings and are sheltering with host communities already facing constrained resources. The lack of dedicated sites and structured shelters is leading to overcrowding, limited access to safe water, food, shelter, and healthcare, and increasing psychosocial needs, heightening humanitarian concerns. Local response capacity remains limited, while the influx is placing additional pressure on already fragile border areas affected by recurrent insecurity and cross-border movements. Priority needs include shelter, ready-to-eat meals, emergency latrines, vaccination, and protection. Until 28 February, Benin was hosting nearly 29,000 refugees and asylum seekers, most from Burkina Faso. (MSF 07/04/2026, RFI 11/04/2026, Afrik 11/04/2026)

07 July 2025

Around 2,400 Nigerians – over 70% of them children – have fled to Alibori department in northern Benin after civilians were killed by non-state armed groups in Niger’s Dosso region. The influx adds to an already fragile context, with over 26,000 Burkinabe refugees and 13,000 IDPs in the north. (ECHO accessed 03/07/2025)

current crises
in Benin

BEN002 - Conflict in northern region of Benin

Last updated 23/03/2026

Drivers

Conflict/ Violence

Crisis level

Country

Severity level

4.3 Medium

Access constraints

2.0

Analysis products
on Benin

Benin: Conflict in Alibori and Atacora

07 February 2025

Benin: Conflict in Alibori and Atacora

DOCUMENT / PDF / 677 KB

In January 2025, violence in northern Benin continued to escalate, with recent attacks by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) in the border area between Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger underscoring persistent insecurity.

Conflict and violence
Migration in West and North Africa

30 November 2018

Migration in West and North Africa

DOCUMENT / PDF / 855 KB

These scenarios consider how migration dynamics within and via West and North Africa (including across the Mediterranean Sea) might evolve in the first half of 2019 and the potential humanitarian consequences. The aim is to support strategic planning, create awareness and promote preparedness activities for policymakers and other actors working on migration.

Mixed migration
View more