Source: AUN News

An Ignored Crisis

The current war between Ukraine and Russia is taking over the international media to the point where it is overshadowing more enduring crises that no longer generate headlines but are nevertheless prevalent. The ongoing Sahel catastrophe, one of the most ignored crises in the world, is an example of this. For more than ten years, extreme poverty, the catastrophic effects of climate change, and escalating armed conflicts have become the norm in this region. a circumstance that the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has made worse.

A ray of hope

Humanitarian help, however important it may be, cannot offer a permanent fix. There is a need for better-coordinated responses to the crisis that target its root causes. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Food Program are the three UN agencies that are experts in food and agriculture. As a result (WFP), have teamed up with the G5 Sahel, the regional organization founded in 2014 by the five Sahel countries most affected. They have joined forces and enlisted Senegal’s assistance to start a US$180 million program aimed at enhancing the livelihoods and financial capabilities of rural farmers in the area and scaling up practical pilot projects. Through it, a shared strategy is put into practice, building on previous decades’ efforts in rural development, particularly in assisting farmers’ and herders’ associations.

IFAD have a long history of collaborating with rural producers in the area. Still, until recently, they preferred to carry out programs on a national level in coordination with federal governments. For a total of $1 billion in US dollars, IFAD is currently funding 20 programs and projects in the G5 Sahel countries plus Senegal.

They can now concentrate their efforts at the regional level, understanding that many of the problems transcend national boundaries, and work in collaboration with all the countries and international organizations involved, thanks to the creation of regional Sahel organizations. The joint Sahel initiative aims to serve the most vulnerable people, usually referred to as the Regional Joint Programme Sahel in Response to the Challenges of COVID-19, Conflict, and Climate Change (SD3C). Along with financial support, IFAD, FAO, and WFP provide their extensive local project implementation experience, knowledge of agriculture, and experience working in conflict zones.

Sahel’s reality

The Sahel is home to some 25 million nomadic pastoralists who are in increasing amount of need of grazing sites for their herds as a result of climate change. As grazing lands are converted to cropland, While the population is growing, conflicts with sedentary farmers are rising, causing a decline in food output. In the Sahel, there should be 330 million people by 2050, more than doubling today’s population. How will they eat if today’s lack of agricultural investment and proper planning doesn’t address the problem of food production and productivity?

An Integrated Regional Response

A crucial goal of the initiative is to boost food production and yields through climate-resilient agricultural techniques in an area where it is projected that 80% of agriculture would be impacted by climate change. It is even more urgent to take action to build resilient climate measures because climate experts predict that temperatures in the area, which are currently on average 35 degrees Celsius, will rise by at least 3 degrees by 2050.

Beyond the program’s primary concern with agriculture, it also emphasizes community peacebuilding, cross-border trade, and transactions. Up to 50% of program participants are women, who often have limited access to land and funding. Young people who experience high unemployment rates and get assistance in starting productive activities to establish jobs and earn respectable salaries make up about 40% of the population. Those who lack access to land and transhumant pastoralists also profit. The overarching plan is built around a fast intervention method that scales up effective and current responses and ways to address the issues of emergency, development, and peace. The program, which has been in operation since 2021, will continue until 2027 and be extended to more Sahel-region nations.