On 19 July, following the approval of the first ever Regionally-hosted Pooled Fund to boost humanitarian operations in West and Central Africa, OCHA has launched the Niger envelope starting with the release of US$ 15 million. Niger is facing a complex humanitarian emergency where continuous violence and insecurity has been compounded by endemic poverty, demographic pressure, and climate shocks. The fund will initially give priority to countries in the Sahel, to help meet rising humanitarian needs across the region. In 2021, a record 29 million people in six countries - Burkina Faso, northern Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Niger, and north-east Nigeria - are in need of humanitarian assistance. The Regionally hosted Pooled Fund will support the humanitarian response in countries by prioritizing urgent needs whilst promoting regional coordination and synergies to face the interrelated challenges of the Sahel.