Sahel Food Security Crisis

The food security crisis in the Sahel region of Africa has been one of worst hunger crisis the world has seen this century. A variety of unfavorable conditions have come together to give birth to this crisis. Many warnings had been issued about the oncoming of such a crisis but they went largely unheeded. As the Sahel region covers a large area, millions of people are suffering from food security, and that makes it absolutely imperative that the international community takes action to help ensure food security and prevent such crises in the future.

The Sahel region has always been prone to droughts and famines because of its geographic position. As a result, crop failures are a constant threat to the population. This combined with the turmoil

The UN and other NGOs have taken a variety of steps to manage the crises along with various charities. However, lasting and permanent solutions to the prevention of the crises are yet to be enforced. With over 13.4 million people vulnerable to the ongoing food crisis, 10 million people food insecure and 1 million children at risk of severe malnutrition, it is high time the UN formulates an enduring solution to prevent and control the crisis at hand. Yet Jordan, itself not being self-sufficient economically, cannot directly help in funding for the technological advancements, crisis prevention and management in the Sahel countries, but is ready to provide other forms of non-financial assistance for providing relief in the

The governments of the countries must work together with the farmers to modernize farming methods in the region. By increasing the amount of crop produced per hectare, the food demands of the population will be met to a large extent. Farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) has earlier proved to boost harvests by a large margin and hence must be encouraged in the region. FMNR not only helps restore the fertility of the soil but the trees also provide leaves and fruits which are crucial during the current food crisis in the region.

Secondly, a storage system must be established in the region. Harvests from the non-drought season must be stored in a manner so that they can be used during dry season when there is a food security crisis. Grain storage structures such as silos must be set up in the region to avoid wastage of crop surpluses from the non-drought seasons. This must also be further be facilitated by the governments of the Sahel countries by subsidizing transportation and storage costs for the local