Executive summary/highlights

• Food prices are continuing to rise further aggravating food insecurity. This was confirmed in the recent analysis of the food and nutrition security outlook to June 2012 by the West African regional organisation CILSS (Comité permanent Inter-État de Lutte contre la Sécheresse au Sahel). The crisis is expected to reach Phase 41 (Extreme) in many parts of Mauritania, Mali, Chad and possibly Phase 5 (famine) in isolated conflict areas of northern Mali.

• There is no regional CAP but UN OCHA estimates a substantial funding shortfall on the basis of the assumption that the total over-all funding needs in response to the Sahel 2012 food security and nutrition crisis are likely to exceed 1 Billion USD. A number of appeals are currently being revised.

• Agencies on the ground are very concerned at the short time left to mobilise aid before the peak of the crisis in June/July.

• The funding shortfall for WFP alone is 290 MUSD for the vital months from May to September. This is needed to resource 159,000 MT of in-kind food, 55 MUSD for Cash and Voucher actions and 8,320 MT of supplementary food products for the treatment of nutrition.

• The funding shortfall for UNICEF is 75 MUSD for integrated nutrition care until the end of the year.

• The food crisis in the Sahel is further aggravated by the ongoing political crisis in Mali and its spill-over to neighbouring states (see separate ECHO SITREPs and updates on Mali).