Early Response to the Food Crisis in the Sahel (Need a Source)

15/02/2012

February 15, 2012 (Ottawa, ON) – Humanitarian agencies are raising the alarm about a drought and food crisis that is unfolding in the Sahel region of West Africa.  Early indicators already reveal that a food crisis is affecting many localised areas across the region in 2012.  The countries most affected are Niger, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad. 

A catastrophic combination of a failed harvest, regional instability, and soaring food prices has left nearly 10 million people at risk of hunger. The region is facing a large-scale humanitarian disaster if immediate action is not taken to prepare appropriate responses. In Niger alone, 5.4 million people are at risk of hunger; at least 1.3 million of those are in critical need of food and assistance now.

Following on the heels of a major drought and famine in East Africa in 2011, the situation in the Sahel region of West Africa could be severe unless early and effective action is taken now. It is not too late to avert the worst impacts or to protect populations from what is coming.  The international community must act now to support national plans and preparedness programs and to ensure communities are equipped to make it through the looming food crisis.

The HUMANITARIAN COALITION is comprised of CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Québec, Plan Canada and Save the Children Canada, all of which are already responding to the current Drought Crisis in Africa’s Western Sahel region. Speak to a representative in Canada about the crisis and what Canadians can do to help, or members of the HUMANITARIAN COALITION on the ground responding to the disaster.  Canadians can support early response and prevention efforts for the food crisis in the Sahel by contacting any of the HUMANITARIAN COALITION members directly.

CARE Canada:
Kevin McCort, CARE Canada President and CEO (En/Fr )
Johannes Schoors, Country Director, CARE Niger (En/Fr )

Oxfam:
Robert Fox, Executive Director, Oxfam Canada, Ottawa (En )
Julie McHugh, Humanitarian Project Officer, Oxfam-Québec, Montreal (Fr/En )
Charles Bambara, Oxfam Regional Media Officer, Senegal (Fr/En )
Fatima Ibrahima, Oxfam-Québec’s representative in Niger (Fr )

Plan Canada:
Dr. Tanjina Mirza, Vice-President of International Programs (En )

Save the Children Canada:
Patricia Erb, President and CEO (En/Spa )
Dr. Bonzi Mathurin, Burkina Faso, Country Director (Fr )
Jeremy Stoner, Regional Director West & Central Africa  (En )


About the HUMANITARIAN COALITION
With a combined presence in more than 120 countries, members of the HUMANITARIAN COALITION work together to reduce unnecessary competition, better educate the public on humanitarian needs and reduce administrative costs. Uniting the forces of CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Québec, Plan Canada and Save the Children Canada, the HUMANITARIAN COALITION communicates to Canadians with one voice on major humanitarian crises as they happen around the world.


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For interviews, please call:

CARE Canada
Alison Frehlich
613-799-7562

Oxfam Canada

Juliet O’Neill
613-240-3047  (cell)

 

Oxfam-Québec
Justine Lesage
514- 513-0013

 

 

Plan Canada

Abigail Brown

647.971.3764  

 

Save the Children
Cicely McWilliam
647-291-1683 (cell)