A worsening security crisis in northern Benin is forcing thousands of people from rural communities and increasing pressure on health services already struggling with high maternal mortality, child deaths, malaria and malnutrition.
Violent incidents linked to regional armed groups rose by 80 percent between 2024 and 2025, while the death toll tripled. The number of internally displaced people increased from 27,294 in December 2025 to nearly 42,500 by May 2026, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Alibori has a maternal mortality rate of 391 deaths per 100,000 live births and an under-five mortality rate of 80 per 1,000, with malaria the leading cause of death among children and chronic malnutrition affecting nearly one in two children under five.
Premiere Urgence Internationale, supported by EU humanitarian aid and France's Crisis and Support Centre, is providing free medical services in several northern health zones, with mobile teams travelling to isolated communities for consultations, malnutrition screening and referrals.
The European Union committed nearly EUR 7.5 million to humanitarian assistance in West Africa's coastal countries in 2025 and more than EUR 6 million in 2026, with Benin receiving more than EUR 2.5 million in 2026, the largest single allocation among coastal countries covered.