High-Level Ministerial Roundtable on the Central Sahel Region

A high-level Ministerial Roundtable on the Central Sahel was co-organized by Denmark, Germany, the European Union and the United Nations which sought to identify solutions, new approaches, gather political momentum and mobilize support from donors in response to current humanitarian challenges in the region.

FAO highlighted that the region is facing an alarming deterioration of its food security due to rising insecurity and climatic shocks. 6.6 million people are estimated to be struggling during the current lean season. Acute food insecurity has increased by 225 percent in Burkina Faso, 91 percent in Mali and 77 percent in Niger over the last year.

The COVID-19 pandemic is also affecting livelihoods and exacerbating the risk of market instability and growing food shortages. FAO, UNICEF and WFP are calling for greater stabilization efforts and assistance to the most vulnerable to save lives, protect livelihoods and strengthen resilience, by bridging the gap between humanitarian and development interventions.