Drought tightens its grip on the Sahel
A third consecutive failed rainy season is pushing millions toward acute food insecurity.
Across the Sahel, a third consecutive poor rainy season has produced what humanitarian officials are calling one of the most severe food crises of the decade.
Early-warning systems flagged the risk months ago, but funding shortfalls have limited the pre-positioning of aid. Now, with harvests confirmed to be far below average in parts of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, agencies are racing to prevent the crisis from tipping into famine.
Climate scientists point to a longer arc: rainfall variability in the region has increased markedly since the 1990s, and the periods between shocks are shortening.
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