Photo of the Day: Red Cross continues to support affected communities across the Sahel

Red Cross meets with Aicha Fall, a mother of eight who received Red Cross assistance following the food security crisis in 2012. Aicha and her family are from a community in Saint Louis, Senegal. Red Cross meets with Aicha Fall, a mother of eight who received Red Cross assistance following the food security crisis in 2012. Aicha and her family are from a community in Saint Louis, Senegal.

I have been in the North of Senegal over the past couple of days to meet with families who have benefitted from Red Cross assistance in response to the food security crisis.  This region of Senegal was affected by the 2011 drought that continued well into the middle of 2012, leading many families to rely on an array of coping mechanisms that included male family members seeking temporary work in the cities, households reducing the number and quality of meals, and households resorting to selling parts of their assets that resulted in weakening their livelihood.

 These families are very thankful for the assistance they have received from the Red Cross, including food, improved seeds, gardening tools, fertilizer, cash transfers and malnutrition screening and referrals.  Operations are still ongoing – with additional materials including gardening tools, fertilizer and food being distributed over the next week.

During my time in Senegal and The Gambia  I have been very impressed with the capacity of the local Red Cross Societies.  They are dedicated to continue supporting affected communities and have truly made a difference in the lives of thousands of people across the Sahel.

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