Sahel food crisis: Let's close the funding gap
In the Sahel region of West Africa, a severe food crisis has been expected since late 2011. The aid community estimates that some 18.7 million people are now being affected and are now at risk.The UN estimates that $1.6 billion is needed to meet the needs of all these people, but their international appeal is only 45% funded.
Oxfam aims to reach around 1.8 million of the most vulnerable people across seven countries with life-saving humanitarian aid. Our appeal is approximately $20 million short.
Take action
Visit www.Sahel2012.org to help us push world leaders to act now.
How Oxfam is helping
In Mali, we aim to reach 350,000 people across the country. However, the deteriorating security situation in northern Mali is severely hampering the emergency response and aggravating the food security crisis there. As a result, people’s access to humanitarian aid is highly limited.
Banditry is a problem, and armed groups have suggested that they will not accept government aid, or branded aid from aid organizations outside the region. The conflict in the north has also forced over 330,000 people to leave their homes. Over 160,000 of these people have sought refuge in neighboring Burkina Faso, Niger, Mauritania and Algeria.
Oxfam’s program in northern Mali – based in the city of Gao – continues to function, but at a reduced capacity. Assessments are underway to determine the most urgent needs for local people – both residents and IDPs. Most IDPs are living in host communities, where they depend largely on local people for support, putting huge pressure on those communities hosting them.
In southern Mali, where the majority of people affected by the food security crisis are living, Oxfam is working in the Kayes region. Communities here have been badly affected by reduced crop production and a fall in remittances from family members working overseas. Oxfam has started direct cash transfers as well as activities which ensure access to food and water; Oxfam has set a target for Gao region to reach 100,000 individuals.
Our humanitarian relief work continues:
- In Kayes we continue to deliver cash based programming to 11,200 people and this will be scaled up as we move into WASH and public health related work.
- Around the town of Gao we are continuing with cash based interventions for 20,000 individuals, working through trader networks that Oxfam has partnered with for some time. We are also assessing needs among local populations – including residents and IDPs. We hope to be able to scale up the project in Gao if the security situation improves.
This video features a new song "Bamako" by Malian singer and guitarist Afel Bocoum and British musician Damon Albarn. It was recorded at an acoustic performance in Afel’s home in Mali’s capital, in order to draw international attention to the growing humanitarian crisis in Mali and to the regional food crisis in West and Central Africa.
Take action
Visit www.Sahel2012.org to help us push world leaders to act now.
Related links
Blog: Hunger calls in Africa’s Sahel region
Photos: Baaba Maal visits drought-stricken Mauritania (February 2012)
Issue Briefing: Food Crisis in the Sahel: Five steps to break the hunger cycle in 2012 (April 2012)
Pinterest: Check out our #Sahel2012 board
