17 February 2012
Christian Aid is responding quickly to assist those living in the stricken Sahel region as more than seven million people across five west African countries face the spectre of famine within months.
Niger, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mauritania are all facing a chronic malnutrition crisis but the prospect of a full-blown emergency has prompted the governments of all five countries to declare states of emergency.
Christian Aid is using money remaining from the west Africa appeal it launched in 2010 to finance an urgent early intervention programme in the countries where we have long-term partners. This will reach a total of 400,000 people in three regions in northern Burkina Faso and the Mopti region of Mali where the crisis is acute.
The programme will include food and cash transfers, cash-for-work programmes, nutrition support for under fives, and provision of seeds and animal fodder. We are also exploring possibilities for intervention with local partners in Niger and Senegal, another affected country, as well as approaching donors to provide extra funds.
Current crisis
As a result of failed rains and wide-spread drought, Mali lost 11.8% of total cereal output between 2010–2011, while in Burkina Faso it is estimated that 41.47% of the country will face severe food insecurity, and in Niger the government believe that more than half of the nation’s villages are now running out of basic food.
Cristina Ruiz, Christian Aid’s Africa humanitarian programmes manager, said that the situation demands an urgent response from international donor organisations.
`The Sahel is once again facing a humanitarian crisis and, unusually this time, several governments in the region have called for international assistance and are developing emergency response plans,' she said.
`Now the responsibility is on the international community to scale up fast enough to avoid major suffering since these governments cannot tackle this on their own.'
The current crisis is the latest peak in a situation of longstanding food insecurity in the Sahel. Following severe drought in 2010, Christian Aid's appeal raised £1,600,000 to provide emergency relief and long-term support for communities in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali.
Christian Aid is also working with other UK agencies through the Sahel Working Group (SWG) both in the UK and in the region.
Your support and prayers
You can help us respond to emergencies as they occur by donating to our Emergencies fund on top right-hand side of this page.
The SWG report, Escaping the Hunger Cycle: Pathways to Resilience in the Sahel, was launched late last year. Download it here: http://bit.ly/mUCYty
Use our prayer for times of food shortages
Podcast: West Africa on the brink
In this podcast, Christian Aid's Amanda Farrant reports from northern Burkina Faso where droughts and failed harvests have left communities facing the prospect of famine.
Share this article
