Det kan godt være, at antallet af folk på sultegrænsen er faldet til næsten det halve i regionen syd for Sahara, men mange nye behov og andre faktorer spiller ind her i 2013, vurderer bistandsdonorer overfor FN-bureauet IRIN.
DAKAR, 19 February 2013 (IRIN):- The 2013 Sahel Regional Strategy calls for 1,66 billion US dollar (9,1 mia. DKR) to help meet humanitarian needs and build up resilience (modstandskraft) among vulnerable groups.
This is an identical figure to the 2012 crisis appeal – even though aid agencies estimate the number of Sahelians at risk of going hungry this year has dropped 44 percent to 10,3 million.
IRIN spoke to aid agency representatives to find out why the ask has remained constant.
“First of all, last year’s figures represented just seven months of crisis needs, as the appeal was launched in May,” said Allegra Baiocchi, head of the UN’s West Africa Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
“Secondly, the similar figure is merely a coincidence, and its make-up is very different,” she continued.
David Gressly, humanitarian coordinator for the Sahel, explained:
“In 2012 agencies focused mainly on an emergency food and nutrition response. In 2013 it is much broader – the complex emergency in Mali has been added to the mix, and groups are hoping to kick-start programmes to promote people’s resilience.”
“What we are sure of is that funding should remain high in 2013, which is not a crisis year in the same way as last, but is still a crisis year,” said European Union funding body ECHO’s West Africa head Cyprien Fabre, adding:
“The poorest went into debt, reached breaking point, but did not suddenly bounce back because of the good harvest this year. Many are again starting the year with nothing. Extreme poverty is not a trap you get out of in one year.”
Mali – the new player on the scene
This year’s food assistance request has dropped from 831 million to 644 million dollar, with significant drops across most countries except for Mali – up by 24 percent linked to the ongoing conflict.
And Mauritania – up 65 percent connected to a critical under-estimation of needs in 2012; and northern Nigeria, where the ask is 100 percent up as the government is only now starting to face up to the extent of its citizens’ food security and nutrition problems.
Food security needs have dropped significantly in Niger (from 490 million to 354 million dollar) following a relatively good food security and nutrition response there – underpinned by strong government leadership and support.
Malnutrition (fejl- /undernæring) still high
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http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97505/Why-the-Sahel-needs-1-6-billion-again-this-year
