Summary

The food insecurity situation in the Sahel is based on a number of causes. It builds on structural factors, such as poverty, poor education levels, lack of access to basic services, political instability and conflicts in the region, poor governance, weak economies dependent on international markets, high population growth, increased urbanisation and rural exodus. This affects the already chronic status of many lowland farmers and pastoralists, who live in poor conditions and usually suffer from food shortages during lean season. In most of the countries in the region, there have been recurrent crises with increasing regularity over the last decade. The cumulative effects of repeated drought and food insecurity have reduced the coping strategies of the most vulnerable, giving them no time or chance to recover