The Dutch government has pledged additional emergency assistance for the Sahel.
Ben Knapen, the Netherland’s minister for European affairs and international cooperation, announced Wednesday (Aug. 15) €4 million ($4.9 million) in new funding to provide emergency food aid to the region. The money will be channeled to the U.N. World Food Program, according to a press release.
The additional aid brings the Netherlands’ total contribution to the Sahel food crisis to €14 million, and reflects the country’s increased focus on advancing food security. Part of the money will be used to deliver “structural solutions to improve food security in the region.”
The United Nation has requested $1.6 billion for the region, but the appeal is only 53 percent funded, according to data published Aug. 17 on the Financial Tracking Service.
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