Sahelian countries face acute hunger crisis

Subject

Food shortages and insecurity in the Sahel.

Significance

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warned in May that 1.6 million children are in danger of acute malnutrition and 5.0 million people are in need of food assistance in the Sahel and parts of West Africa. Drought and conflict have left 7.1 million people in the Sahel in need of food aid, the Food Crisis Prevention Network (RPCA) warned in April. Pastoral societies are severely affected. The range of food shortages and socio-economic crises in the Sahel reflects the region’s vulnerability to annual drought and long-term climate change, as well as challenges posed by insecurity.

Impacts

• France will emphasise counter-terrorism even though the cost of fighting terrorism undermines the Sahel’s capacity to avert food crises.
• The region will remain vulnerable to annual droughts.
• Long-term climate change will threaten the sustainability of the rural economy upon which the majority of the population still depend.