USAID working to help millions needing food aid in Africa's Sahel region

Apr 3 2012

"This week, urgently needed food -- 33,700 tons of sorghum from American farmers -- will depart the United States for West Africa, as a part of the U.S. Government's response to the drought in the Sahel," Dina Esposito, director of the Office of Food for Peace, writes in this post in USAID's "Impact" blog. She says that in addition to food aid, "USAID is also focusing on improving nutrition, increasing agricultural production, linking individuals to local markets through voucher programs, rehabilitating public infrastructure through cash-for-work schemes, and mitigating conflict, among other activities," with the aim of "alleviat[ing] poverty and build[ing] community resilience to withstand future shocks" (3/30).