Ten million people in the Sahel are at risk of starvation

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, more than 10.5 million people in the Sahel are at risk of starvation in the coming months. The International Committee of the Red Cross warned on Thursday that the situation in the so-called green hunger – when supplies run out but a new crop is not yet available – is being exacerbated by conflict and refugee movements.

At least two million people have been displaced in West African countries, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mauritania. Islamist attacks are repeated in Burkina Faso.

The situation in Burkina Faso is particularly dire, with 1.8 million people leaving their homes to seek safety in other parts of the country or in neighboring countries – a tenth of the population. Villagers who cannot reach their fields or herds urgently need help, but some of them cannot be reached by aid organizations.

In addition, the Sahel region is one of the regions most affected by climate change. One of the worst droughts in decades caused a sharp decline in crop yields.

“In some areas of Burkina Faso, people have to wait 72 hours to reach the water point,” said Patrick Youssef, the ICRC’s Africa director. “If the situation continues to deteriorate, people and animals may die of thirst.”