The Sahel is a semi-arid region which happens to form a part of some of the most vulnerable populations on Earth. It stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the west and culminates into the Red Sea in the East. This region includes parts of countries like Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, Mauritania, and Sudan. Droughts, effects of climate change, as well as the political turmoil of the region have made the Sahel a victim of multiple food security challenges.
This article is aimed at raising an alarm regarding the food security challenges the Sahel region of Africa is facing and the role of climate change, conflict, and economic instability in making the situation worse. By combining my own opinion with factual analysis, this article aims at an appeal for immediate food aid and long-term sustainable solutions targeting the most vulnerable populations. It also makes an effort to remind governments, regional groups and international actors to join forces in facing these situations.
Climate Change: The Growing Threat
In geomorphology there are five fundamental principles that contribute to the changes in the landforms. In this article, In this article reference will be made to the first three principles. The first principle is that there is always a delicate balance between geomorphic processes (erosion, weathering, deposition) and landforms. The second is that this delicate balance is based on the interaction between driving forces and resistance to change. The third principle states that changes in the driving forces stresses the landform beyond its threshold (Büdel, 1968). These same principles can be applied to the climate system where anthropogenic (burning of fossil fuels, transportation, urbanisation among others) and natural factors (volcanic eruptions, ocean currents, the Earth’s orbital changes, solar variations and internal variability) have stressed the climate system beyond its threshold and resistance level resulting in climate change which is considered the greatest threat of the century (Bowen, Mattia & Stren, 2010; Stern & Kaufmann, 2013). Climate change affects the environment in many different ways, including rising temperatures, sea level rise, drought, flooding, and more (Abbass et al., 2022) Since these factors contribute to agriculture and food production, it is sound to say that one of the most pressing factors contributing to food insecurity in the Sahel is climate change.
Known as a climate hotspot, the African Sahel suffers from unheard-of temperature increases, high precipitation variability, and more severe and frequent weather extreme events than the rest of the world, leading to protracted droughts and unpredictable harvests (Omotoso et al., 2023). Over the 1961-1990 and 1991-2022 subperiods, the Sahel has warmed by 0.1°C, from +0.2°C to 0.3°C, which is higher than the average increase for the world. Furthermore, roughly 110 million Africans are thought to have been directly impacted by climate change in 2022, with over 5,000 deaths from the phenomenon (48% from drought and 43% from flooding). Extreme flooding occurs in Sahelian countries during the monsoon season. It should come as no surprise that these occurrences and patterns have a number of negative effects on poverty, growth, and food security, all of which are expected to worsen over the next few years. The African Sahel region is thought to have some of the world’s most severely food insecure nations. Acute food insecurity has been at its greatest point in Africa for over a decade. Approximately 45,000 persons in the Sahel experienced catastrophic levels of hunger in 2023, with 42,000 of those cases occurring in Burkina Faso and 2,500 in Mali (World Food Programme, 2023). Consequently, many families are not able to grow sufficient food to feed themselves or their communities, which prompts them to depend on international assistance or move to urban areas in pursuit of food. Furthermore, desertification, which is the process where overgrazing, deforestation, and lack of water renders arable land unproductive, is worsening the region’s susceptibility (AbdelRahman, 2023). Farming efforts from the local population reduce progressively because the land is less productive, and the region’s livestock dependent pastoralists suffer greatly.
Conflict and Instability: A Barrier to Recovery
Another important factor contributing to food insecurity in Sahel is political unrest and military wars. One of the main causes of extreme food insecurity is conflict. There is a reciprocal association between food security and violent conflict (Martin-Shields & Stojetz, 2019). Violent conflict affects consumption, cropping, agricultural output, and nutritional status. People were displaced by violent strife. Children’s and teenagers’ height is negatively correlated with conflicts, and both boys’ and girls’ nutritional status is equally affected (Acharya et al., 2020). Furthermore, disputes have a negative impact on economic output from two perspectives (Arias et al., 2019). First of all, conflicts have a direct negative impact on human, private, and public capital. Consequently, these locations have much lower production (Justino & Verwimp, 2013). Second, disputes can affect agricultural output by imposing standards of behaviour, raising taxes on families and output, and compelling households to cultivate specific crops (i.e., illicit crops) (Arjona, 2016; Korf, 2004). Civil wars, insurgencies, and terrorist activities in countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have displaced millions of people. These refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) often find themselves in overcrowded camps with limited access to food, clean water, and healthcare. In addition, conflict disrupts trade routes, which further hampers the availability of food. Humanitarian aid organizations are often unable to reach those most in need due to insecurity, making it harder for local populations to recover from food shortages. This cycle of violence and displacement not only deepens poverty but also further destabilizes an already fragile food system.
It is a disaster situation around food insecurity in the Sahel. The World Food Programme reports that millions of the people in the region suffer from acute hunger, whereby most children suffer from malnutrition and stunting. Such children are more susceptible to diseases because lack of adequate nutrition results in their being undernourished. In the worst cases, food insecurity kills, especially the most vulnerable individuals. The economic costs are also staggering. The Sahel is one of the poorest parts of the world, and food insecurity perpetuates poverty, dooming millions of people to a vicious circle of want and penury. For as long as there is inadequate food in the home, children cannot go to school, adults cannot go to work, and whole communities are denied wherewithal to break free from poverty.
A Call to Action: Solutions and Hope
Urgent, multi-action responses are required to address Sahel food insecurity. Emergency food aid – while necessary as a short-term measure – is hardly enough. Answers must be of a sustainable, resilient nature where food systems help withstand the rigors of climatic change and conflict.
1. Climate Adaptation and Sustainable Agriculture Investment in climate adaptive agriculture will help farmers adapt to the changes in weather. Drought-resistant crops, rainwater harvesting, and agroforestry improve soil fertility and yield benefits from high crop production. This includes training local farmers and access to current agricultural tools and knowledge to increase food production.
2. Regional Cooperation: Sahel governments need to collaborate on issues that cut across borders, including climate change, trade, and migration. Regional cooperation can enhance food security through free movement of goods, people, and resources. The African Union and other regional organizations need to take a more proactive role in coordinating efforts and ensuring that food security is prioritized in national and regional agendas.
3. End Conflict and Build Peace: There is no peace without long-term food security. Ending conflicts, preventing violence, and making it possible for people to prosper is a job for governments, regional organizations, and international actors. Such would include the demobilization of combatants, the negotiation of peace agreements, and the rehabilitation of communities torn apart by war as an indispensable stabilizing factor giving people access to food and other basic necessities.
4. Humanitarian Assistance/Social Protection: While long-term solutions are pursued, immediate humanitarian assistance must be provided to alleviate the suffering of those currently at risk of starvation. Beyond food assistance, investments in social protection programs-including school feeding and cash transfers-can help poor populations meet basic needs.
Conclusion
Food insecurity in Sahel is not an issue affecting just the people within its borders but one that concerns the entire world. The problems in the Sahel are closely intertwined with global challenges: climate change, migration, geopolitical instability. This means the outcome of food insecurity driven by conflicts and migration among others have a dialectical relationship leading to strain on resources and reinforcing conflicts. Moving forward, we must remember that the future of Africa’s most vulnerable children reflects our collective responsibility.
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