HIGHLIGHTS
- The rainy season continues in the Sahel following a late start.
- Insecurity in West and Central Africa has caused population displacement and increased food needs among affected households.
- The USG has provided more than $276.3 million in humanitarian assistance to the Sahel in FY 2014.
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
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The rainy season continues throughout the majority of the Sahel, with harvests begun in areas with early maturing crops, according to the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET). FEWS NET predicts Minimal—IPC 1—food insecurity from September through December in the Sahel, with the exception of crop-deficit and conflict-affected areas, where food insecurity will persist.4
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Ongoing insecurity in Nigeria and the Central African Republic (CAR) continue to drive many displaced families into neighboring countries, including Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. The U.N. reports that refugees and returnees often arrive with significant food and nutrition needs, necessitating increased support and straining host community resources.
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In FY 2014, the USG provided more than $276.3 million in humanitarian assistance to the Sahel to support agriculture, food security, nutrition, and other activities, as well as conflict-affected people in Mali, as well as Malian refugees in Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Niger.
NUMBERS AT A GLANCE
20.2 million
Estimated Number of People Who Experienced Food Insecurity in the Sahel
U.N. – July 2014
5 million
Estimated Number of Children at Risk of Experiencing Moderate or Severe Malnutrition in 2014
U.N. – July 2014
101,279
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Mali
International Organization for Migration (IOM) – September 2014
139,491
Total Number of Malian Refugees Displaced to Sahelian Countries
Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – September 2014