WFP appeals for access as famine appears in Sahel

United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that parts of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger face catastrophic levels of hunger unless aid groups are given urgent access to area.

stark warning comes ahe of High-Level Ministerial Conference on Central Sahel in Copenhn on Tuesday.

he of International Rescue Committee in Niger, Paolo Cernuschi, said Monday he expected some firm commitments from conference in terms of guaranteeing basic humanitarian access.

Cernuschi said he also looking for recognition that a primarily militarised response wasn't going to dress underlying causes of crisis.

Violence and insecurity have pushed 7.4 million people in Central Sahel region of West Africa into acute hunger.

number of internally displaced people has risen from 70,000 two years ago to nearly 1.6 million today, including over 288,000 in Mali, more than 265,000 in Niger and over one million in Burkina Faso, which is w home to world's fastest growing displacement crisis.

ability of humanitarian organisations to deliver assistance to those most in need has been jeopardised by worsening conflict and insecurity. Meanwhile, aid workers are also increasingly targeted by armed groups in region.

This means that needy communities are unable to access life-saving humanitarian assistance on which y desperately depend in times of crisis.

Cernuschi said re was reason to believe that situation wouldn't deteriorate without furr support, which could destabilise region.

WFP is urging participants at conference to find ways for organisations to eng with local communities and groups in order to open up safe passways for humanitarian assistance to reach those in need.

virtual conference is being hosted by Denmark, Germany, European Union and United Nations.

UN officials are hoping it will raise US$1 billion for three countries at epicenter of humanitarian crisis in Africa’s Sahel region, and spur leers to dress underlying causes, including increasing conflict and insecurity, weak governance and a lack of development.

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