A severe drought is again affecting the Sahel region of West and Central Africa threatening millions of people with
hunger. This is resulting into a potentially catastrophic food crisis in eight countries namely, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, Cameroon, Nigeria and Senegal. Millions of children are at risk of severe malnutrition. This year rain was sparse and came late and this will have a devastating effect on most people who live on what they grow. When the rains don’t come on time, harvests fail, animals die and people start going hungry. Sahel is one of the poorest regions in the world where children already face daunting odds of survival. The current crisis makes their survival even more tenuous.
Visit this interactive map of the Sahel for a quick overview of the situation in each country.
Preparing for the Crises in the Sahel region in Africa. Watch this video produced by UNICEF on food crisis in Sahel.