Thread by @WHO

More than 1⃣3⃣ people across #CentralSahel need urgent humanitarian response to a multidimensional crisis involving:

⚠️poverty
⚠️poor health systems
⚠️climate change
⚠️natural disasters
⚠️weak governance
⚠️conflict

#SahelNow

Along with #COVID19, Central Sahel faces a complex crisis of food insecurity, armed violence, and disrupted health services, affecting:

👥1.5M displaced
👥7M food-insecure
👥800K severely malnourished children
👥6500 killed in the last 12 months

#SahelNow

WHO is committed to continue working with donors and partners to focus on:

✅#COVID19 control;
✅maintaining essential health services;
✅socio-economic focus on food security, social services, peace, and livelihoods

#SahelNow

In #BurkinaFaso🇧🇫,

🚨almost 1 million people need protection assistance
🚨3.4 million people face critical food shortages
🚨nearly 300,000 under-5 children suffer from acute malnutrition

📸@UNOCHA

During #COVID19, WHO has helped #BurkinaFaso🇧🇫 :

✅support preventive vaccination against measles & meningitis
✅train health workers to support survivors of gender-based violence
✅strengthen essential health services
✅provide rapid response to health emergencies

In #BurkinaFaso🇧🇫, WHO works strategically with locally recruited staff in order to be closer with the community; and will be expanding its presence in other regions, and across all other sub-sectors of the health response.

Frequent attacks on health services in #Mali🇲🇱 deprive

👥1.5M people in need of sanitation & >900k people with nutritional needs
👥1.5M people requiring emergency & quality health care
👥1.4M people waiting for access to basic, quality health services

Apart from #COVID19 response in #Mali🇲🇱, WHO helps

✅deliver medical kits to affected people
✅develop the Epidemic Preparedness & Response Plan
✅train health workers on gender-based violence
✅train people to set up Emergency Medical & Rapid Intervention Teams

In #Mali🇲🇱, WHO aims to maintain & strengthen health services and systems, essential for crisis-affected populations; and respond rapidly to acute health emergencies, supporting national capacities.

📸@UNOCHA

In #Niger🇳🇪, 2.7 million people struggle with food insecurity, and 2.4 million children suffer from acute malnutrition.

📸@UNOCHA

Apart from #COVID19 response, WHO helps #Niger🇳🇪:

✅respond to recent floods
✅develop a flood response plan
✅distribute medical supplies & malnutrition supplies
✅provide technical support to Ministry of Health & partners to coordinate response to crises & disasters

When borders closed and flights were cancelled due to #COVID19, WHO worked closely with @WFP, @_AfricanUnion, government, and @foundation_ma so vital supplies reached those in need, through the ‘Solidarity Flights’.

We thank our donors who have given USD510 million to all humanitarian partners, including WHO, to support the life-saving work in the region. #SahelNow

With the ongoing crisis, however, Central Sahel still needs a further USD890 million to sustain the gains of community-level programs in the three countries: #BurkinaFaso🇧🇫, #Mali🇲🇱 & #Niger🇳🇪.

#SahelNow