The latest food crisis in Africa's Sahel region currently affects as many as 15 million people, and many of the world's leading aid agencies say they may need as much as $1 billion in donations to combat the shortage. Time is of the essence, as organizations from the United Nations to Save the Children say the crisis may be getting worse, according to Voice of America.
The Sahel region extends coast-to-coast across central Africa, and includes around a dozen countries. Advocates say they have only managed to raise around $52 million for the cause, well short of the target amount. Although it has not had the devastating impact as the recent famine in East Africa, it still deserves a great deal of attention.
“You have a food crisis running across the whole of the Sahel region," World Vision’s Global Rapid Response Team's Chris Webster told the news source. "It’s affecting a reported 15 million people. Around 1 million children are severely malnourished. The situation is serious."
Experts say the food shortage is especially complicated, with an ongoing conflict in Mali exacerbating the issue of lower rainfall.
To help fight the food shortage, Save the Children partnered with Oxfam, Action Against Hunger and World Vision, to try to raise $250 million.
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