U.S. Department of State

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks on the Sahel at the United Nations in New York, New York on September 26, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks at a United Nations Secretary General meeting on the Sahel at the United Nations in New York, New York on September 26, 2012. A text transcript can be found at http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/09/198233.htm.

Moving Food Faster to Those Who Need it Most in the Sahel

A laborer works at a grain store inside the world food programme (WFP) warehouse in Maradi, Niger, on Aug. 7, 2005. [AP File Photo]

About the Author: Dina Esposito serves as the Director of the Office of Food for Peace at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

This week, urgently needed food — 33,700 tons of sorghum from American farmers — will depart the United States for West Africa, as a part of the U.S. government’s response to the drought in the Sahel.

Due to poor harvests, high food prices, and a number of conflicts in the region, a dire humanitarian situation is looming for chronically vulnerable populations across the Sahel region of western Africa.

The food we are shipping this week should arrive by late April, just four to five weeks from now. USAID’s speedy contribution complements efforts of the UN World Food Program and other agencies to procure food for the hungry regionally. Because markets in the Sahel are currently stretched to meet the demand for food, internationally sourced assistance is vital to ensure that food prices don’t rise even higher. With 7 to 12 million people in need of assistance,… more »

Humanitarian Assistance to Sahel Region

Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
March 29, 2012

The United States is deeply concerned about the humanitarian emergency in the Sahel region of Africa. Around 10 million people are in need of emergency assistance due to erratic rainfall, failed harvests, high food prices and conflict across the region that includes Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger. In response to current needs, including protection and assistance for refugees, and to prevent a potentially much more serious situation, I am pleased to announce that the United States is providing an additional $120 million in emergency assistance. With these funds, the U.S. Government is providing nearly $200 million this fiscal year in humanitarian assistance to the Sahel region.

We are currently providing targeted humanitarian assistance that addresses acute malnutrition and hunger and builds resilience, and we are also focused on long-term approaches to establish lasting food security. We are making highly nutritious therapeutic food available for malnourished children. In addition to providing life-saving food, we are working to help vulnerable families and communities buy locally-available food and services, while developing small-scale projects and infrastructure that can help build the resilience necessary to withstand future drought.

In partnership with other donors, we have taken early action in response to early warnings. We are targeting specific pockets of great need while working toward sustainable, longer term development. Together, we are saving lives, mitigating impact, and building resilience.

Connecting Early Warning to Early Action: Building Resilience in the Sahel

Following a sandstorm, Nomadic tribal chief walks past the carcass of a cow that he says died of hunger, in Gadabeji, Niger, May 11, 2010. [AP File Photo]

About the Author: Nancy Lindborg serves as Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Due to erratic rainfall and failed harvests, high food prices, and rising conflict, more than seven million people across the Sahel region of western Africa are at risk of plunging into crisis when the lean season begins this spring.

We know this as a result of our investments into early warning systems that monitor rainfall, harvests, market prices, climatic conditions and nutritional status.

As a result, on February 15, 2012, I attended an unprecedented event in with Rome that brought together assembled leaders from the United Nations agencies, European Union, and USAID, as well as representatives of affected governments and non-governmental organization.

It was a heartening and remarkable convergence on the need to mobilize for early integrated action in response to the early warnings in the Sahel, with an emphasis on a smart, targeted response… more »