United Nations (UN) announced yesterday May 24 it would provide a $30 million emergency fund to help Sahelian countries’ most vulnerable populations.

Information from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) relayed by Xinhua, revealed that in the very short term, four countries should benefit from this emergency fund as to combat drought and food insecurity.

The beneficiary countries include Chad ($10 million to combat child acute severe malnutrition), Burkina Faso ($9 million to fight food, people and property insecurities). Mali will receive $7 million to implement vital aid operations in most food-unsecured-regions and the remaining amount will be granted to Mauritania for food supply and humanitarian services by air.

UN indicated that $1.37 billion will be needed in the four above mentioned countries along with Niger and Senegal to address drought crisis in Sahel region.

Moutiou Adjibi Nourou