$82 million in funding for food and nutrition crisis in Sahel and Lake Chad regions
April 08, 2022
Global Korean Post
People living in the Sahel and the West Africa regions are experiencing unprecedented levels of food and nutrition insecurity; over 35 million people are affected by this crisis.
The current food crisis is compounded by growing insecurity, an increase in terrorist threats and disruptions in food supply chains caused by the crisis in Ukraine.
Government of Canada on April. 6, announced over $82 million in funding for gender-responsive humanitarian and development assistance to address increasing food and nutrition needs and help avert famine in the regions.
This funding will be provided to UN agencies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and non-governmental organizations to address both immediate and longer-term needs.
With Canada’s ongoing support, partners will address acute malnutrition and food insecurity, as well as underlying vulnerabilities related to health, water, sanitation and hygiene in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions.
Canada’s international assistance for the Sahel and Lake Chad regions increased from $424 million in the 2019 to 2020 fiscal year to $486 million in fiscal year 2020 to 2021.
On April 4, Canada announced its full membership in the Sahel Alliance to help advance the group’s objective of enhancing the stability and global development of the regions.
During the alliance’s third general assembly, its members reiterated that it is necessary for them to provide a coordinated response to the needs of the Sahelian population to meet the challenges of the major food crisis the G5 Sahel countries—Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger—are facing.
Since 2020, Canada has established bilateral development programs in Niger and Chad as part of its efforts to increase international assistance in the Sahel.
