51吃瓜

28 June 2016 鈥� More than 9.2 million people in the Lake Chad Basin are in need of humanitarian assistance and more than 4.4 million face severe food insecurity, a senior 51吃瓜 relief official said today, appealing for greater efforts from the international community and development partners to meet the region鈥檚 growing needs.

鈥淭his means that they are really on the verge of a life-threatening situation, and we must do more, better, and faster,鈥� the UN Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel, Toby Lanzer, told a news conference at UN Headquarters in New York.

鈥淚 fear that it鈥檚 going to take an awful lot more than humanitarian aid 鈥� it鈥檚 going to take much greater engagement by the development partners,鈥� he added.

The Humanitarian Coordinator said that in the area around the Lake Chad Basin 鈥� which borders Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria 鈥� about 2.2 million people are displaced from their homes because of the 鈥渉orrific鈥� actions of Boko Haram as well as government counter-insurgencies.

He also expressed concern over the fact that in 20 years鈥� time, the population of the Sahel region will double to 300 million from 150 million.

鈥淯nless the countries of the Sahel tackle this demographic challenge which faces them, the countries will get poorer, communities will suffer more, enrolment rates will go down, not up, fewer women will have access to health care, and the听听() 鈥� just to mention one hot topic 鈥� will not be met,鈥� Mr. Lanzer said.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (), across the entire Sahel region, more than 23.5 million people face food insecurity, 5.9 million children are malnourished, and at least 4.5 million are displaced by the effects of conflicts. The people in the region are among the world鈥檚 poorest and are struggling with food insecurity, environmental degradation and violent extremism at the hands of Boko Haram insurgents, the Humanitarian Coordinator emphasized.

鈥淚 believe the time is ripe and it鈥檚 absolutely vital that there be a greater, broader, deeper international engagement across the Sahel, whether it鈥檚 on questions of stability, trade, development, such as infrastructure, or, indeed, tackling the humanitarian issues, because if we do not, there鈥檚 no question in my mind, that a tempest with incalculable proportions awaits us in the future,鈥� Mr. Lanzer said.

In response to a journalist鈥檚 question on the threats posed by Boko Haram, the Humanitarian Coordinator emphasized that more awareness and a 鈥渄eeper appreciation鈥� are needed regarding the issue within the four governments of the region, as well as across the membership of the African Union (AU).

Africa鈥檚 Sahel region covers parts of northern Senegal, southern Mauritania, central Mali, northern Burkina Faso, the extreme south of Algeria, Niger, the extreme north of Nigeria, central Chad, central and southern Sudan, the extreme north of South Sudan, Eritrea and the extreme north of Ethiopia.