Development and Peace is making an emergency appeal, warning that the Sahel region of Africa is facing catastrophic food shortages after erratic weather has caused the failure of crops. In addition, rising food costs have made it increasingly difficult for families to access food.

As many as 15 million people in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Chad and parts of Nigeria and Cameroon are at risk of food insecurity and malnutrition, and one million children at risk of severe acute malnutrition. Recurrent droughts have progressively eroded the capacity of communities to cope with poor harvests, which has increased their vulnerability.

Faced with this dire situation, people are putting at risk their livelihoods by selling their livestock at reduced cost, eating grains meant to be used for the next harvest and abandoning the countryside to find work in urban centres.

Development and Peace in partnership with Caritas Internationalis is acting now to bring relief to communities, but there is more that can and must be done. Hence the emergency appeal. Please respond by giving online (www.devp.org), by phone (1-888-664-3387) or by mail (Development and Peace, 1425 René-Lévesque Blvd West, 3rd Floor, Montreal QC H3G 1T7.

Please include your return address. Donating the cost of just one summer barbecue will make a difference.