As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the world, the poorest countries have by far fared the worst. Countries in this region have for years been plagued by major destabilising issues such as large-scale human displacement and armed conflict. According to Norwegian Refugee Council, a staggering 12 million children were forced out of school across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger due to coronavirus restrictions. Similarly, World Food Programme has continued to ramp up lifesaving assistance, reaching more than 3.4 million people in August alone. A recent humanitarian ministerial round-table concluded with 24 governments and institutional donors pledging more than $1.7 billion to scale-up humanitarian aid in the central Sahel region.

Source: Standard Digital October 28, 2020 22:41 UTC