More than 34 million people across West Africa’s Sahel region could face hunger by June as conflict, climate change and economic turmoil following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has deepened a humanitarian crisis, the International Rescue Committee said.
In Nigeria, Chad, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, 23.5 million people are currently food insecure. This figure could reach 34.5 million people between June and September, the New York-based organization said in a report on Wednesday.
At the heart of the problem is an increasingly unpredictable climate that’s triggered conflict in some areas while floods have displaced more than two million people in Nigeria. While Africa has contributed little to the greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet, it is one of the hardest hit continents.
