New York, Feb 15 2012  2:05PM
Delegates at a meeting convened by the United Nations to draw up strategies to respond the humanitarian crisis in West Africa’s drought-prone Sahel region today called for comprehensive and rapid assistance to the millions of people affected, especially children and women.

Leaders of UN agencies, representatives from governments in the affected countries and major donors, meeting at the headquarters of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Rome, <“http://www.beta.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/2012/02/15/joint-statement-uurgent-call-for-united-action-in-the-sahel-region-of-west-africa.html”>stressed the need for a combination of relief, early recovery and longer-term development programmes.

They resolved to work together to meet immediate food security and nutritional needs of affected people, while supporting programmes that address the root causes of problems and to strengthen the resilience of communities living in areas affected by chronic drought.

Actions will include support for short-term food security and nutrition response plans developed by national governments and regional organizations to increase access…