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Current Hunger Emergencies
Sahel
The Sahel region of Africa is experiencing a severe drought that is stretching across several countries and bringing hunger to millions in the region. The situation is becoming increasingly complicated with conflict in certain areas and is particularly affecting women and children across Niger, Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Gambia.
This is the third time in a decade that this area has been hit by drought. The quick recurrence of droughts means that people have had little to no time to recover. Food prices in the region are abnormally high, savings are exhausted and livestock herds have not been replenished. Survival is becoming a bigger challenge every day.
This combination of factors has made this crisis a priority for WFP and we have been working to bring food assistance to the most vulnerable in the region. The severity of the situation is escalating and will continue to do so without immediate humanitarian assistance. The time for action is now! Learn more
South Sudan
Faced with poor harvests, high food prices and conflict, the people of South Sudan are facing an escalating hunger crisis. Unless swift action is taken, millions of people risk going hungry.
As conflict has forced people from their homes and food prices continue to rise, the number of people who are severely food-insecure could double. Chris Nikoi, WFP’s country director in South Sudan explains, “This is a rapidly approaching crisis. The situation is dire, we are running out of time.”
South Sudan’s cereal harvest in 2011 was 19 percent smaller than in 2010 and 25% smaller than the five-year average. Poor rainfall is largely responsible for this shrink in agricultural production, but conflict is also pushing farmers off their land. Ordinarily food markets would help to fill this gap, but closed border crossings between South Sudan and Sudan have disrupted the flow of food.
WFP is aiming to reach some 2.7 million vulnerable people with 150,000 metric tons of food. Learn more
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