In early December, experts responsible for coordinating food security in 17 countries in West Africa and the Sahel warned against the increase in hunger in this area in parallel with jihadism and its violence. If nothing is done, the number of hungry is expected to reach a record high (up to 24 million people) by the summer, they warned. It is in the face of this security and humanitarian situation which continues to deteriorate particularly in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, that the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres announced on Thursday January 7 the appointment of a Senegalese, Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, as special coordinator for development in the Sahel. “The central Sahel region is at a breaking point,” United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned last October. “We must reverse this destructive spiral by giving new impetus to peace and reconciliation,” he stressed.
Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, who will be based in Dakar, “is a macroeconomist and development expert with solid development experience gained over the past 35 years,” the UN chief said in a statement. Until now, the Senegalese held adviser functions at the UNDP (United Nations Development Program).
“Integrated strategy”
This new post follows resolutions adopted by the UN which called for strengthening “the collective and integrated commitment in the Sahel region to stop the deterioration of the situation, by recognizing the interdependence of the security, humanitarian and human crises. development ”. This appointment comes as several NGOs including the Sahel and West Africa Club, took stock this week on the prospects for the year 2021 in the region. Experts estimate that 16.7 million people in need of immediate food assistance, including 9.2 million in Nigeria as the Sahel and West Africa must prepare for a major food and nutrition crisis in 2021, warned Thursday the ‘NGO. Sahel and West Africa Club director Laurent Bossard said hunger and violence are two parts of the same equation and “2021 will likely be worse”. “Insecurity is seriously worsening the food situation in the region, leading to large numbers of displaced people, disrupting agricultural activities and entrenching acute food and nutrition insecurity in the context of climate change,” the NGO noted on its website. However, she notes that the governments of the countries concerned face difficult budgetary trade-offs between security, health and food emergencies. The NGO adds that six countries (Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Chad) have launched 2020 response plans for a total amount of more than CFAF 400 billion, but their implementation is hampered by the serious budgetary difficulties of States and mobilization of external resources. The NGO called on development partners to address many challenges related to coordination and alignment, as “the region faces great uncertainty”.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
