UN Chief Guterres: Sahel microcosm of cascading global risks

Twenty-four dors pledged nearly 1.7 billion US dollars to scale up life-saving humanitarian aid to millions of people in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, at a high-level ministerial conference on Central Sahel on Tuesday.

Once released, funds will help some ten million people for remainder of this year and through 2021 with nutrition and food, health services, water and sanitation, shelter, education, protection and support to survivors of -based violence.

Speaking from New York at virtual conference, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Sahel was a "microcosm of cascing global risks converging in one region," and served as a "warning sign for us all requiring urgent attention and resolution."

UN chief said situation in region was at breaking point, with record-level humanitarian needs, a deteriorating security situation and rising violence affecting women and girls in particular.

People living in border region between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are w at an epicentre of conflict, poverty and climate change.

More than 13 million people in region need humanitarian assistance. number of people facing acute hunger has tripled over past year to reach 7.4 million.

Some 1.5 million people are internally displaced - a twentyfold increase over two years. Lockdowns and or COVID-19 prevention measures have pushed an ditional six million people into extreme poverty.

Guterres appealed for 2.4 billion US dollars to cover remaining months of 2020 and provide emergency assistance through 2021 in Central Sahel. He said long-term solutions would come through sustainable development, good governance, and equal opportunities for all, but ted that this wouldn't happen overnight. He stressed that international community, however, could prevent crisis from growing delier and costlier in future.