A year on from the UN declaration of famine in Somalia, with a hunger summit planned for London this August, and continued unease over high and volatile food prices, why are hunger and food insecurity still such global problems, while other development goals show progress?
This month's Global development podcast looks at the food crisis in west Africa's Sahel region. The latest figures from aid agencies suggest that at least 18 million people are at risk of food shortages in Niger, Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Senegal, and one million children are at risk of severe acute malnutrition.
Our podcast features Slanwa Gaston from Tearfund's Niger office, Denise Brown, head of the World Food Programme's Niger office, and Mariana Merelo Lobo, operations director at Action Against Hunger, known in the region as ACF, which works in Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal and Nigeria. Apologies for the sound quality for people joining us on the phone from the region.
To discuss all the issues, comment on our talk point.
