UN chief calls for reversal of downward spiral in central Sahel

Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-20 22:24:34|Editor: huaxia

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday has called for the reversal of the downward spiral in the central Sahel with a renewed push for peace and reconciliation.

The central Sahel is at a breaking point, Guterres told a ministerial conference on the humanitarian situation in the region co-hosted by the United Nations, Denmark, Germany, and the European Union.

Humanitarian needs in the border region between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have reached record levels, as the security situation has deteriorated sharply with rising violence, Guterres said in a video message.

Internal displacement has increased twenty-fold in less than two years, while the number of families facing hunger has tripled and climate change is threatening people's livelihoods, with COVID-19 making it all worse, he noted.

The secretary general appealed for 2.4 billion U.S. dollars to cover the remaining months of 2020 and provide emergency assistance for the region throughout 2021. "With better funding, we can do much more," he said.

Long-term solutions will come through sustainable development, good governance, and equal opportunities for all, especially young people, he explained. "That will not happen overnight. But we can prevent the crisis from growing deadlier and costlier in the future," he said. Enditem

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