Solving Food Security Challenge Key to Peacebuilding in the Sahel

The rise in violent extremism in the Sahel is linked to the conditions that people face in their daily lives. Many parts of the Sahel have never seen electricity, they have no access to potable water, education is at a premium, so these connects obviously lead to a deterioration of the security situation, according to Khaled Sherif of the African Development Bank (AfDB). He said that it was not surprising that regions with chronic food insecurity, especially in Africa, "become unstable sooner or later". A report released by Amnesty International earlier this year noted that instability, food insecurity and more than 7.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance had left the region in crisis. In addition, the global coronavirus pandemic was expected to worsen the situation.