UN Says 2.4 Mn People Need Urgent Food Aid Across Burkina, Mali And Niger
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published November 20, 2019 | 02:00 AM
Geneva, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Nov, 2019 ) :More than 2.4 million people need urgent food aid across the central Sahel region, encompassing Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, where rising jihadist violence has triggered a humanitarian crisis, the UN said Tuesday.
"If we do not act now to tackle hunger in the Sahel, a whole generation are at risk," a spokesman for the UN's World Food Programme (WFP), Herve Verhoosel, told reporters in Geneva.
He said some 20 million people were living in conflict-affected areas across the region, nit by violent clashes involving a range of armed groups.
More than 860,000 people across the region have become internally displaced, while the three countries are also hosting 270,000 refugees.
Burkina Faso has been particularly hard-hit by the crisis due to a sharp increase in violence, Verhoosel said, pointing out that there were more attacks in the country during the first half of this year than during all of 2018.
According to an AFP tally, nearly 700 people have died in Burkina Faso since it began struggling against a jihadist insurgency that began in neighbouring Mali in 2015.
The UN estimates that nearly half a million people have fled their homes in Burkina Faso, and the WFP's country director there, David Bulman, told reporters Tuesday that number is expected to swell to 650,000 by the end of the year.
"These people are already poor ... and when they are displaced it means that they leave everything behind," he said, warning that malnutrition rates among the displaced were staggering.
There were high levels of acute malnutrition among displaced populations in Burkina Faso -- up to seven percent which is far above the two-percent threshold for declaring an emergency.
"We are talking thousands" of children affected, Bulman said.
WFP said it was scaling up its assistance activities, and had provided more than 2.6 million people across the central Sahel region with food and nutritional assistance so far this year.
But it warned that the rise and spread of militant groups was seriously limiting access to provide aid.
The UN agency also cautioned that it was facing a severe funding gap, stressing that it urgently needs $150 million to keep its programmes running.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Delegation of international investors meets Finance Minister
Federal Govt stands with Balochistan for its development: Naqvi
UAE President receives condolences of Prime Minister of Pakistan over passing of ..
ECC approves to enhance wheat procurement targets
UN urges Israel to 'stop escalation' as tanks enter Gaza's Rafah city
EU stumps up $125 mn for Yemen after aid groups' plea
Governor Tessori condemns May 9 riots, calls it a 'pre-planned conspiracy'
PM condoles with UAE President over Sheikh Tahnoun’s death
Milan nets Giro 4th stage, Pogacar retains lead
UBS back in profit after Credit Suisse takeover losses
Asiya Gul lauds Shafaat's services as DG LG
President for dialogue with all political forces in Balochistan
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
Concerted efforts urged to ease traffic flow on city roads
3 days ago -
Land degradation: A threat to food security
3 days ago -
Revamping health sector, a gigantic task ahead
3 days ago -
American band promotes intercultural harmony thru music fusions
4 days ago -
Waste Management – A persistent challenge for MWMC
5 days ago -
Experts for ending child labour
7 days ago
-
Labour Day - A reminder for better facilities to workers
7 days ago -
Stage Drama Mohabati Manhoon presents in Arts council Larkana
9 days ago -
Wheat farmers in a fix on price, procurement mechanism
10 days ago -
Modern tools to help transform crime investigation procedures
10 days ago -
Sanam Marvi captivates audience with mesmerizing performance
11 days ago -
Modern Education Techniques: A pathway to achieve economic development
12 days ago