At least 15 million people are estimated to be at risk of food insecurity in the Sahel
FAO called Friday for urgent action to support farmers and herders caught in a cycle of recurring food crises in the Sahel region of western Africa. Agropastoralists in the Sahel face mounting challenges from drought, cereal and fodder crop declines, environmental degradation, high food prices, and chronic poverty. Cereal outputs have fallen an average of 25% in the past year.
The response includes assistance with planting and harvesting, targeting nutrition education for women with children, and reinforcement of food security information and early warning systems. Regional coordination of multiple humanitarian organizations presents a more integrated approach to addressing the crisis.
Read more about the efforts of FAO and its partners.
That photo is fascinating. Where can I find out what those women are doing, and how it works?
The photo was taken a few years ago in Mauritania and shows women growing vegetables during a similar period of drought. To read more about FAO’s response to the current crisis in the Sahel, please see our press release and website on the Sahel crisis.