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DFID pledges a further 10 million for West Africa
22 June 2012
Women and children waiting for food
"20 million people are facing food shortages, while as many as eight million people require emergency relief."
DFID has pledged a further ten million for West Africa, bringing its total contribution to 20 million. This commitment is welcomed by Islamic Relief Worldwide which urges the international community to up-scale its efforts, as the crisis is expected to peak in August. 20 million people are facing food shortages, while as many as eight million people require emergency relief as reported by ECHO this month.
Children and women are in particular at severe risk. UNICEF says it urgently requires US$ 146 million to address the humanitarian needs of children and women in the Sahel. DFID recently warned that the crisis could reach a ‘tipping point’, reporting that “1.5 million children [are] facing imminent starvation in the next month if the world does not take urgent action.”
Islamic Relief is providing aid in Chad, Niger and Mali. It has already set up a cereal bank, providing 22 tons of rice in the Banikane village in Mali. It is providing blanket feeding, emergency nutrition and livelihood programmes. Despite these interventions, a global response is urgently required across the Sahel in countries as far as Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and South Sudan, which all are affected by the severe food shortages.
