The Sahel declares a food and health emergency

The area of Africa known as the Sahel, which spans across the Sahara desert and includes portions of Niger, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, The Gambia and Senegal, has declared a state of emergency due to food shortages and outbreaks of measles, meningitis and polio. Reasons behind the crises include erratic rainfall, drought, insect infestation, increased food and petrol prices, conflict and population movement.

According to a report from the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 18 million people in the Sahel are being affected by malnutrition and disease. Notably, children younger than 5 have been hit the hardest.

The WHO estimates that 1 million children are at risk of severe acute malnutrition and, of those, more than 200,000 are likely to need medical care in hospitals or clinics. 

Individuals who want to help alleviate these emergencies and disasters may consider making donations to the Canadian Red Cross, which is helping to support the Red Cross Movement's efforts in the Sahel. Donations made to the West Africa Food Crisis will help provide nourishment to people living in the region.