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In the heart of the Sahel, ‘demand is growing faster than generosity’ – Global issues

According to Martin Griffiths, nearly 15 million people in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, will need humanitarian assistance this year. That was four million more than a year ago.

United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) led by Mr. Griffiths and partners, will require nearly $2 billion for humanitarian response in these three countries alone.

It is a grim picture. Conflict, drought and food insecurity, gender-based violence – all growing faster than support is available”, the Emergency Relief Coordinator explained.

The Meet online is a joint effort of the United Nations, the European Union, the German Federal Foreign Office and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The quest to find out the truth

Last week, Mr. Griffiths visited Nigeria and met with those affected by the Lake Chad basin crisis.

“The stories they told me were symbolic of the struggles people in the heart of the Sahel face: violence, resettlement and the difficulty of finding sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families. family,” he recalled, adding that he hopes to visit Mali and Niger in the coming months. .

Along with that, conflict, climate change, political instability, lack of opportunities for sustainable development and poverty, are pushing millions of people into increasingly desperate situations. COVID-19 has only made the situation worse.

Violent attacks increased eightfold in the central Sahel between 2015 and 2021. During the same period, the number of deaths increased more than tenfold.

Millions of people displaced

“As a result, more than two million people have been displaced, including half a million internally displaced in the last year alone,” said the head of the humanitarian organization.

Meanwhile, insecurity and attacks continue to disrupt already weak basic social services.

More than 5,000 schools are closed or not operating. Many medical centers are not working. Displacement and increased insecurity have disrupted access to water supply, sanitation and hygiene services.

According to the final estimate, the number of people facing severe food insecurity has tripled in Mali and doubled in Niger compared to November 2020.

During the lean season, more than eight million animals are expected to be affected.

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Obstacles needing support

While demand grows, the Sahel center remains “one of the most dangerous places in the world for aid workers,” Griffiths said, noting that A third of the world’s abductions of aid workers in 2020, occurred in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

He added: “Despite these difficulties, humanitarian organizations reached more than seven million people in the region by 2021 and raised $700 million.

Unfortunately, the UN aid officer says, this is not even halfway there to meet the needs of the people in the Sahel.

To help close that funding gap, the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to issue $54.5 million in 2021 for Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. same year, OCHA established the first regional general fund, totaling nearly $33 million.

The humanitarian director concluded on a positive note, noting that the Sahel is “an area of ​​great potential” and that, working together, could reverse current trends.

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