BBC News Afrique: LIFE sounds the alarm on Africa's major humanitarian challenges

On 9 May 2025, Mouhamadou Gaye, LIFE's Head of Operations, was a guest on the programme Au cœur de l'actu on BBC News Afrique. On air, he painted an alarming picture of the humanitarian crises across Africa. He also explained what LIFE is doing to respond, even as the logistical, security and political challenges grow ever more complex.

Africa faces humanitarian crises on an unprecedented scale

The programme opened with an overview of today's emergencies:

• War in Sudan, leaving millions of people at risk of famine
• Growing food insecurity in West and Central Africa
• Extreme floods and droughts in the Sahel (Chad, Niger, Mali…)
• Renewed violence in the DRC
• Mass displacement across the whole region

LIFE operates in more than 25 countries and works directly in several of these high-risk areas.

Many challenges on the ground

He said LIFE's teams face 5 major humanitarian challenges:

1. Insecurity (armed conflict, banditry, political instability)
2. Logistical barriers (impassable roads, cut-off areas)
3. Political constraints
4. Health risks (epidemics…)
5. Distrust of international NGOs among some communities.

Team safety and training come first

LIFE puts strict security protocols in place, tailored to each setting:

• In-depth analysis and assessment of the situation and of high-risk areas
• Strict security protocols covering which kinds of travel are permitted, accommodation, and how to behave in the field…
• Team training

A local approach to reach the most isolated communities

When access is blocked, LIFE takes a three-pronged approach:

• Working with local partners and with traditional leaders who are trusted locally
• Working closely with governments to stay in line with national policies
• Using negotiated humanitarian corridors

This approach lets LIFE adapt in real time as emergencies unfold.

This appearance on BBC News Afrique showed how rigorous and operationally flexible LIFE is, at a time when humanitarian crises are becoming more frequent and more complex. For LIFE, the goal is not only to respond to emergencies but to build trust with the communities it helps, because without that trust, lasting work is impossible.