Humanitarian Coalition appeal | War, crop failure, high input costs lead to food crisis
A coalition of Canadian food and development aid organizations is warning that a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in West Africa as 18 million face hunger or starvation without help.
The Humanitarian Coalition is appealing for Canadian help in the West African Sahel area where drought, harvest failure, high input costs and war have put millions at risk.
Rosemary McCarney, president of Plan Canada, said Canada has been generous in its support of the growing crisis in the Sahel.
“Canada and CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) were one of the first to respond to the crisis with $41 million,” she said.
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However, individual Canadians have not responded with contributions that could persuade Ottawa to match private donations as it has in past crises.
“It is a bit of a dilemma for us because once aroused, Canadians are incredibly generous,” said McCarney.
“But there has been little media coverage of the crisis, and that’s what it takes. We hope to ignite an understanding of the crisis so that Canadians will respond as they always do.”
Canadians had donated $650,000 by June 21, although the government has not yet agreed to match the private donations.
McCarney said Canadians will become more generous if they understand Ottawa will match or exceed their contributions.
“I think Canadians want to know the government has some skin in the game as well,” she said.
The crisis in West Africa has developed because of spotty rain and brutal military conflicts that have left hundreds of thousands of people as displaced refugees.
Families have had to sell their mainstay cattle to pay bills and eat their seed grain to survive rather than planting it for next year’s harvest.
McCarney said the hunger being experienced among children in the Sahel region will have lasting effects because it will stunt their ability to be productive in the future.
The Sahel appeal can be reached at www.together.ca.
