According to AFP, UNICEF has not fully acquired the funds it requested in December to resolve the Sahel famine, the third to burden the region in ten years. With 15 million malnourished people and 1 million children at risk of dying, UNICEF addressed the global community, “appealing for an end to global indifference” and stressing the danger of a “humanitarian disaster” in the Sahel area.
Recognizing the frequency of crises in Africa, UNICEF executive director, Anthony Lake, acknowledged that there is a “certain fatigue” among the world’s population as individuals far-removed from the crisis become accustomed to news of the Sahel’s struggle. The recurring troubles have also made it harder for the people of the Sahel Region to cope with the current famine, as the 2010 drought forced many to sell their food reserves. Margaret Chan, World Health Organization Director-General emphasized prompt action, setting a July deadline for aid and declaring that with an immediate response 95% of children can still be rescued.
Posted by Yekaterina Fomitcheva
Image credit: © FAO/Souleymane Traoré
