UN warns of famine in Sahel

The lives of 1.6 million children in West Africa’s Sahel region are at risk, while six million people in total face food shortages, the UN has warned.

UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock warned on Tuesday that the levels of hunger and severe malnutrition had not been seen since the 2012 crisis and the most critical months were still ahead.

He said the crisis was triggered by scarce and erratic rainfall in 2017.