West Africa: Central Sahel - Millions of Children in Humanitarian Need, Unicef Official Warns

Nearly 7.5 million children across the Central Sahel region in Africa are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance - "an emergency that remains too far from the attention of the international community," a senior official with the UN child rights agency UNICEF has said.

UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban issued the warning following a visit to Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali.

"After a 14-day visit to the Central Sahel, I have witnessed firsthand a region rich in possibilities, yet continuously affected by insecurity, climate shocks, and socio-economic crises," he said in a statement issued on Sunday.